UK Media Regulator Fines TikTok £1.875M for Failing to Provide Accurate Information

TikTok has been fined nearly £1.9 million by Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, for failing to provide accurate information regarding its parental controls in response to a freedom of information request.

As reported by Identity Week, the inaccuracies and delays in TikTok’s report have postponed the publication of Ofcom’s child safety transparency report, which holds social media companies accountable for their safety measures.

Ofcom stressed the necessity of accurate information from regulated companies to fulfill its regulatory duties. Legally, firms must respond to statutory information requests from Ofcom accurately, completely, and promptly. TikTok’s failure to meet these requirements has been a significant issue for the regulator.

The investigative report by Ofcom was focused on child safety measures, specifically examining TikTok’s “Family Pairing” feature, which allows parents to manage their children’s use of the platform. TikTok initially responded to the information request on September 4, 2023, but later admitted in December 2023 that the data provided was inaccurate.

Following the admission, Ofcom launched an investigation, revealing shortcomings in TikTok’s data governance and its slow cooperation with the statutory request. TikTok delayed notifying Ofcom about the inaccuracies for three weeks past the deadline and provided only partial information seven months after the initial deadline.

Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s Enforcement Director, emphasized the importance of accurate and timely data submission, noting that Ofcom’s role in scrutinizing platform safety features is essential for holding tech firms accountable. “When we demand data, it must be accurate and submitted on time,” she said. “We won’t hesitate to take enforcement action if any company fails to do this.”

TikTok acknowledged the findings and accepted the fine. A spokesperson for TikTok stated that the company inadvertently provided inaccurate information regarding the use of the Family Pairing tool in the UK, which significantly undercounted its usage. The spokesperson apologized for the delay in reporting the error and confirmed that TikTok has since implemented improvements to its internal processes.

Source: Identity Week, Deadline

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July 25, 2024 — by Tony Bitzionis