Colombia to look into TikTok’s treatment of children’s data, as short-video app comes under growing scrutiny
- Colombia’s commerce regulator says it will look into whether TikTok complies with laws on the collection and treatment of minors’ personal data
- The move comes amid growing US scrutiny of the app and a similar investigation announced last week by the Netherlands’ privacy watchdog
The move comes amid growing US scrutiny of the app and a similar investigation announced last week by the Netherlands’ privacy watchdog.
TikTok allows users to create and share short videos with millions of people worldwide.
“The superintendency is seeking to establish if TikTok has demonstrably implemented the principle of responsibility in the treatment of data from Colombian citizens who use its services,” the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce said in a statement posted on its website.
TikTok blocks young users from private messaging as part of new restrictions
Colombia’s constitution orders special protections for minors, who are the app’s principal users, the statement added.
TikTok – owned by Chinese company ByteDance – first gained popularity in Asia but now has a massive following around the world. It is estimated to have between 500 million and 1 billion users.
The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment but said last week it is cooperating with Dutch authorities in their investigation.
