Brazil Fines ByteDance $29.8 Million Over TikTok Minor Data

The National Data Protection Authority of Brazil fined ByteDance Co Ltd, the owner of TikTok, 153.7 million reais, or approximately $29.8 million, for mishandling the personal data of children and teenagers. The regulator found that TikTok processed information from minors without an adequate legal basis and failed to implement effective safeguards to prevent improper data collection.

As part of the penalty, ByteDance must delete all improperly collected data and enforce strict restrictions for unregistered users. These mandates include disabling livestreams and direct messages, suspending advertising, and limiting the amount of time users can spend on the platform.

ByteDance has committed to a compliance plan that will default the most restrictive privacy settings for users under 16 and require parental authorization for any changes to those settings. This regulatory action aligns with a broader effort by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to strengthen online protections for minors, following the passage of a law in March that restricts access to harmful content.