A Canadian investigation has revealed that TikTok collected “vast amounts” of personal data from children, sparking fresh concerns over the platform’s safeguards and practices.
The joint probe, led by Canada’s privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne alongside authorities in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta, found that despite TikTok’s age restriction of 13 years, hundreds of thousands of children accessed the platform annually. The investigation concluded that TikTok not only gathered sensitive personal data from these underage users but also used it for targeted advertising and content recommendations.
Commissioner Dufresne emphasized the risks, stating the collection and use of children’s data for marketing could have harmful impacts on youth. Privacy advocates have echoed concerns, pointing to gaps in age verification and transparency.
TikTok has pledged to strengthen protections for young users, promising improvements in age verification and greater transparency around data usage. However, the company disagreed with some findings of the investigation.
The report underscores Ottawa’s growing scrutiny of tech platforms and their compliance with Canadian privacy laws, especially when children’s data and safety are involved.
