The social network will not be able to process data of users whose age has not been verified.
TikTok was already under investigation: On 22 January 2021, the Italian data protection authority, the Garante, acts against TikTok following the death of a 10-year old child in the city of Palermo, who was using the social network despite it being restricted to children under the age of 13. The Garante had already notified TikTok of several infringements in December 2020, including poor protection of minors.
TikTok needs to verify users’ age with ‘absolute certainty’: Following the statement of December 2020, the Garante gave TikTok 30 days to respond to the allegations. However, the authority decided to intervene immediately following the death of the child. TikTok is now restricted from processing personal data of users whose age has not been verified with ‘absolute certainty’. However, the authority does not specify how the age verification should work.
How long will the restrictions last? The restriction will be in place until 15 February 2021. The Garante may take further action ahead of that date. The decision has been notified to the Data Protection Commission of Ireland, where TikTok has its main establishment in Europe.
