The United Kingdom telecommunications regulator Ofcom has sanctioned and fined social media platform TikTok 1.9 million pounds ($2.4M U.S. currency), for failing to provide child safety data in a timely manner.

The allegation stems from ByteDance (owner of TikTok) communicating inaccurate child safety data and failing to remedy its inaccurate reports swiftly. The data includes parental control features, which did not identify the "number of people using the tool".

TikTok has recognized the failure and has apologized for any disruptions. This was the first kind of such a breach encountered by the platform and the resulting fine was "25 percent below its maximum, Ofcom said "significant weight was also given to the fact that…TikTok self-reported the error and has since taken steps to improve its internal processes."

The inaccurate reporting has caused Ofcom to remove "details on the effectiveness of TikTok's parental controls in an upcoming transparency report" the regulator stressed. The sanctions also come a week after TikTok lost an appeal regarding new UK digital rules that have been put in place to control the powers wielded by "big tech". www.ndtv.com (Jul. 24, 2024).

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The social media platform, TikTok, launched in 2016, has been downloaded billions of times. According to a Pew survey in 2022, young children and teens spend an average of more than 90 minutes a day on TikTok alone. The app allows users to view, create, and share short (up to 10 minutes) videos on any subject.

What are some of the safety concerns child safety experts, parents, and caregivers have about TikTok?

Children can be exposed, through TikTok-posted videos and music, to personal data compromises, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content. Inappropriate content can range from white-supremacy to terrorism to anti-Semitism to body-shaming, and self-harm, including suicide. Common Sense Media recently reported that of a group of girls with moderate to severe depressive symptoms, 69 percent are exposed to suicide-related content at least once a month on TikTok.

Children have a 64 percent chance of encountering cyberbullying on TikTok – repeated, offensive comments, rumors, threats – according to security.org. Cyberbullying can result in serious emotional and psychological problems such as low self-esteem, anger, suicidal ideation, and more, most often experienced by adolescent girls, although many boys are cyberbullied, too.

What steps can parents and caregivers take to help protect children?

• Use what parental controls TikTok offers, such as restricted modes and screen time management
• Set up a private account and use the "limit comments" settings
• Use the "restricted" feature to block mature content
• Educate children about online predators and how to be safe
• Manage your child's usage of online platforms
• If a child reports an online problem, listen. Take screen shots, and report illegal behavior such as child pornography.