Brazilian data protection regulator fines TikTok's owner nearly $30 million over safety of minors

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SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s data protection regulator on Tuesday fined TikTok parent company ByteDance more than 153 million reais (nearly $30 million) because of alleged failures in the handling of personal data of children and teenagers.

It's the South American nation’s latest move against social media companies.

The regulatory body said in its ruling that TikTok breached data privacy laws across both logged-in accounts and guest browsing sessions through the collection and processing of young users’ personal information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards.

The company can still appeal the decision in the next 10 days, Brazil’s regulatory body said. It didn't immediately comment about the Brazilian regulator’s ruling, which also includes an order for TikTok to eliminate all data that was gathered illegally.

Brazil’s regulator also said that the company should offer a plan to improve its protection of minors.

Earlier this month, the same body recommended the suspension of live broadcasts of platform Discord after it was linked to a suicide case.

Brazil’s government under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the country’s Supreme Court have tried to regulate the use of the internet by minors, with mixed results so far, at a moment when countries, including Australia, Canada and Indonesia, are undertaking similar efforts.

Brazil’s first lady, Rosângela Lula da Silva, known as Janja, said on Aug. 6 that the platform should be taken offline, citing the case. She is also a critic of TikTok’s protections of children and teenagers.