Canada Investigates TikTok Kids Data
Canada Investigates TikTok Over Children’s Data Collection
Canada’s privacy authorities have found that TikTok is being used by hundreds of thousands of children in the country, despite the company’s claims that its platform is not meant for anyone under 13.
A joint investigation led by Canada’s privacy commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, along with privacy authorities in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta, revealed that TikTok collected sensitive personal information from many Canadian children and used it for targeted advertising and content recommendations.
“TikTok collects vast amounts of personal information about its users, including children. This data is being used to target the content and ads that users see, which can have harmful impacts, particularly on youth,” Dufresne said at a press conference.
In response to the findings, TikTok has agreed to strengthen its age-verification processes to prevent underage users from accessing the platform. The company also plans to improve transparency so younger users better understand how their data might be used.
Other measures introduced during the investigation include preventing advertisers from targeting users under 18, except in broad categories such as language and approximate location, and providing more privacy information for Canadian users.
A TikTok spokesperson said the company welcomed the agreement on several proposals aimed at improving the platform for Canadian users. “While we disagree with some of the findings, we remain committed to maintaining strong transparency and privacy practices,” the spokesperson added, without specifying which findings TikTok disputed.
The investigation in Canada is part of a global scrutiny of TikTok, amid concerns that China could use the app to collect user data or advance its interests. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd, although discussions continue in the U.S. about transferring TikTok’s American assets to U.S. owners.
Other countries have also taken action: the European Union’s top policy-making bodies have banned TikTok from staff phones, and the U.S. Senate passed a bill last year barring federal employees from using the app on government devices.
Canada began reviewing TikTok’s plans to expand its business in the country in 2023. That investigation ultimately led to a government order requiring TikTok to halt its Canadian operations over national security concerns—a decision the company is currently challenging.
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