Brazil fines TikTok owner $30 million over child data violations

Brazil's data authority has imposed a hefty fine of more than 153 million Brazilian reals, equivalent to around $30 million, on the owner of TikTok, ByteDance. The penalty stems from ByteDance's alleged illegal collection and processing of minors' personal data on the social media platform. The data protection authority claims TikTok violated privacy laws by gathering and handling children's and teenagers' data without a valid legal basis or sufficient safeguards for data protection.

This includes both registered account users and individuals who browse the platform without logging in. The regulator has given ByteDance ten days to appeal the decision, ordered the company to delete all illegally collected data, and required ByteDance to submit a plan to enhance protections for minors using the platform. This fine comes as Brazil and other nations, such as Australia, Canada, and Indonesia, intensify their efforts to regulate children's and teenagers' internet usage.