UK HIGH COURT GREEN LIGHTS CHILDREN'S PRIVACY LAWSUIT AGAINST TIKTOK
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Millions of children's information were allegedly abused by the company, and if the allegations are proven right the social media could be on the hook to pay billions in compensation.
A spokesperson for TikTok said:
"Privacy and safety are top priorities for TikTok and we have robust policies, processes and technologies in place to help protect all users, and our teenage users in particular. We believe the claims lack merit and intend to vigorously defend the action."
Anne Longfield, former Children's Commissioner for England, said:
"We are pleased the Judge agrees that TikTok's troubling and, we believe, illegal collection of children's private information is a serious issue that should be tried in the High Court. TikTok's data collection practices and structures are deliberately opaque and the final destination of the information gathered from children in the UK and Europe is not clear."
"Today's decision gives us permission to take the necessary steps to serve TikTok's overseas entities, including in China, the Cayman Islands and the US, which we hope will help shed light on their actions and give clarity to parents and children around the world."
"We look forward helping millions of children stand up to this social media giant's shadowy practices in Court," she added.
"Today's decision gives us permission to take the necessary steps to serve TikTok's overseas entities, including in China, the Cayman Islands and the US, which we hope will help shed light on their actions and give clarity to parents and children around the world."
"We look forward helping millions of children stand up to this social media giant's shadowy practices in Court," she added.
This decision does not guarantee anything has of yet, as similar cases in Europe have been filed over the past few years. Recently, Google won its appeal to the Supreme Court in a Safari settings case.
TikTok remains under scrutiny by the European Commission following a series of consumer protection and child safety complaints last year. There's also a case of an emergency data protection procedure instigated in Italy following reports of the death of a child.
An EU data protection investigation of TikTok's handling of children's information, originally highlighted by Italy's DPA, remains ongoing, with Ireland's Data Protection Commission now the lead authority for that procedure.
A similar compensation-seeking children's data suit has also been filed against TikTok in the Netherlands.
Credit: TechCrunch
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