The Consumer Council and 16 other consumer organizations have reported the Tiktok app for facilitating illegal advertising to children.
A new report from the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) reveals that Tiktok makes it possible to target advertising for, among other things, unhealthy food and drink and beauty products to children and that much of the advertising is hidden in the form of competitions.
“Tiktok is fully aware that they have users both over and under 13 years, and has a special responsibility for the youngest users being taken care of and protected from this type of content,” Consumer Council director Inger Lise Blyverket noted in a press release.
Based on the report’s findings, 17 consumer organizations from 15 countries are now reporting Tiktok to the European Network of Consumer Supervision (CPC network) and the European Commission for violations of several consumer laws.
The Consumer Council also asked the Norwegian Consumer Agency and the Norwegian Media Authority to look at the company’s practices.
“Not acceptable”
Minister for Children and Families Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (KrF) believes it is unacceptable that children’s personal information is used for targeted marketing. He is also pleased that consumer organizations are getting involved in this area.
“It is not acceptable for children’s personal information to be used for targeted marketing. Here I expect Tiktok to clean up (its practices). The platforms have to take privacy seriously and ensure that children are not exposed to pressure from commercial forces online,” he wrote in an email to news bureau NTB.
NTB has tried to get in touch with Bytedance, which owns Tiktok, for a comment, but the company did not reply.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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Well done Norway! I applaud this. The EU will scrutinize this!
Well observed Norway!