The Irish Data Protection Commission has announced that it has opened two investigations into video sharing platform TikTok.

The first is about how TikTok processes children’s data and whether the data is processed in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation.

Another investigation is about the investigation of personal data transfers to China, where TikTok’s parent company is located. The reason for this investigation is; to see if the company meets the requirements set out in the regulation covering personal data transfers to third-party countries.

About the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) investigation, TikTok officials said;

TikTok authority plans to cooperate fully with the Irish Data Protection Commission, stating that the privacy and security of the TikTok community, especially its youngest members, is their top priority, that they have implemented comprehensive policies and controls to protect user data, and that they rely on approved methods for data transferred from Europe, such as standard contract clauses. he also added.

The Irish regulator’s two “voluntary” investigative announcements follow pressure from other EU data protection authorities and consumer protection groups, who have raised concerns about how TikTok handles user data in general and children’s information in particular.

In Italy this January, TikTok was ordered to recheck the age of every user in the country after data protection watchdog launched an emergency procedure using GDPR powers following child safety concerns.

TikTok continued to comply with the order, removing more than half a million accounts that users could not verify as children.

This year, European consumer protection groups have also raised a number of child safety and privacy concerns regarding the platform, while EU lawmakers also announced that they will review the company’s terms of service in May.

Source:
techcrunch-com