UK regulator ICO plans to fine video platform TikTok 27 million pounds. According to the watchdog, TikTok is not doing enough to ensure the privacy of children. Among other things, the company would have processed the data of children under thirteen.

The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a “notice of intent” to TikTok. That is a first step before the actual fine is handed out. The so-called NOI is intended to notify TikTok and give the company the opportunity to respond to it. The amount of the fine may still change if it turns out that TikTok makes changes in time or cooperates well with the investigation.

The watchdog has investigated Chinese social medium TikTok and concludes that the platform violated UK data protection law between May 2018 and July 2020. At that time, the European GDPR was in force in the UK. After Brexit, the country’s own privacy law came into force, but it was almost identical to the GDPR.

According to ICO, during that period, TikTok processed the data of children under the age of thirteen without the necessary consent of parents. Nor would the social network have “failed to provide information to its users in a concise, transparent and easy-to-understand manner”. TikTok has also processed special data without legal basis, according to the watchdog.

The fine would amount to 27 million pounds, which translates into about 30 million euros. The penalty has not yet been officially imposed. The regulator says it will “carefully study” any comments made by TikTok before making a final decision. TikTok has not yet commented on the preliminary decision of the ICO.