TikTok Fined £1.875 Million by UK’s Ofcom for Data Inaccuracies

On 24 July 2024, the British communications regulator Ofcom announced a £1.875 million fine against TikTok for providing inaccurate information about its Family Pairing parental control feature. The fine stems from TikTok’s failure to accurately respond to a statutory request for information, which is crucial for Ofcom’s regulatory duties.

Context

Ofcom sought data from video-sharing platforms to compile a report on child safety measures. TikTok was asked to provide data on the usage of its Family Pairing feature, intended to help parents manage their children’s online activity. The accuracy of this data was essential for assessing the feature’s effectiveness and informing the public.

TikTok’s Response and Investigation

• • Initial Response: TikTok submitted the requested data on 4 September 2023. However, on 1 December 2023, TikTok admitted the data was inaccurate and launched an internal investigation.

• • Ofcom’s Investigation: Initiated on 14 December 2023, Ofcom found that TikTok’s data governance was insufficient, leading to delayed error reporting and remedying.

Findings

• • Data Inaccuracies: TikTok’s submission contained significant errors, and the company was slow to report these inaccuracies to Ofcom.

• • Impact on Report: This delay forced Ofcom to exclude TikTok’s data from its transparency report, which disrupted efforts to provide clear safety information to parents.

• • Subsequent Delays: Even after committing to providing accurate data, TikTok faced further delays, only submitting partial data by 28 March 2024, well past the initial deadline.

• • Penalty Decision: Ofcom deemed the £1.875 million fine appropriate, reflecting the severity of the contravention and TikTok’s size and resources. This includes a 25% reduction for TikTok’s cooperation in settling the case.

Read the press release here.