TikTok removes over 500 accounts in Italy after court order to block minors
TikTok removed more than 12 accounts in Italy on Wednesday (May 05) after complying with an order issued by GDPR, the country's data protection agency, earlier this year. The agency's order required users to verify their age and blocking access to anyone under the age of 13.
According to the GDPD According to the Italian acronym for the Guarantor for the Protection of Personal Data, more than 12,5 million users were asked to confirm their age between February 9 and April 21. Of these, 500 users were removed because they were “probably under 16 years old.” Around 400 declared themselves to be under 13, and 140 were identified in the age range through “a mix of moderation and reporting tools” implemented by the app.
After removing the accounts, TikTok pledged to the Italian government to “take a series of additional measures” to ensure the platform only accepts users aged 13 and over. Chief among these is banning anyone found to be under 13 within 48 hours. This includes developing AI tools to check when children are using the service.
“We’ve already taken industry-leading steps to promote teen safety on TikTok, including making accounts for users under 16 private by default and allowing parents to link their accounts with their teens’ accounts through Family Pairing,” TikTok said in a statement. to the TechCrunch website. “There is no finish line when it comes to security, and we continue to evaluate and improve our policies, processes and systems, and consult with external experts.”
Death of 10-year-old girl shocked the country
GDPD's action in January came after the death of a 10-year-old girl was linked to the "Blackout Challenge," a social media challenge. The incident took place in Palermo, southern Italy, and shocked the country, especially due to the dynamics of the challenge – in videos circulating on the platform, the tagged user holds their breath until they pass out.
In light of the tragedy, TikTok plans to launch advertising campaigns, both on the app and in Italian media, to raise awareness about the safe use of the platform. The platform has also recently joined the Technology Coalition, an organization that works to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation on the Internet.
Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. TechCrunch
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