WASHINGTON (US) – Sources said that the US Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department are investigating allegations regarding popular application TikTok failing to abide by a 2019 agreement to protect children’s privacy.
The app has come under scrutiny from the national security-focused Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the county was “certainly looking at” banning TikTok, hinting that it shared information with the Chinese government. However, TikTok denied the charge.
A member of a Massachusetts tech policy group and another source said they were part of discussions with FTC and Justice Department officials to look into the allegations that TikTok failed to adhere to an agreement in announced in February 2019.
The Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and other outfits in May urged the FTC to conduct a probe into the allegations that the app did not delete videos and personal information about users aged 13 and younger.
TikTok takes “safety seriously for all our users,” said a spokesman, adding that in the United States they “accommodate users under 13 in a limited app experience that introduces additional safety and privacy protections designed specifically for a younger audience.”
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field