Canada’s privacy authorities said on Tuesday that TikTok has agreed to improve its measures to keep children off its website and app. This decision comes after a Canadian investigation found that TikTok’s measures to block children and protect their personal information were insufficient.
According to Reuters, a joint investigation by Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, and privacy protection authorities from Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta found that millions of Canadian children use TikTok every year, despite the company stating the platform is not for users under 13.
The investigation also found that TikTok collected sensitive personal information from a large number of Canadian children and used it for ‘online marketing and content targeting.’
Announcing the results of the investigation at a press conference, the Canadian Privacy Commissioner said that TikTok collects ‘a lot of personal information’ about its users, including children. This data is being used to target the content and advertisements that users see, which can have harmful effects, especially on young people.
Dufresne stated that in response to the investigation, TikTok has agreed to improve its age verification methods to keep underage users off the platform and enhance its communications so that users, especially young people, can understand how their data might be used.
According to the privacy commissioners, the company also agreed to some other changes during the investigation. These include a ban on advertising targeting users under 18, except for ads based on general categories like language and nearby location. Additionally, privacy information available to Canadian users will be expanded.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the company is pleased the commissioners accepted several suggestions to make its platform stronger for Canadians. The spokesperson said, “While we disagree with some of the findings, we are committed to maintaining strong transparency and privacy practices.” However, the spokesperson did not specify which findings TikTok disagreed with.
Major institutions in the European Union have banned TikTok on their employees’ official mobile phones, while in the United States, government officials have also been prohibited from using the app.
Canada has now joined global governments and regulators scrutinizing TikTok due to concerns that China could use the app to collect user data or advance its own interests.