From probe into TikTok’s child data use in the UK to YouTube’s exemption from teen social media ban in Australia, here’s everything we covered at Digital Rights Monitor (DRM) this week.
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UK: Investigation launched into TikTok over child data use
The United Kingdom’s data privacy regulator has launched an investigation into TikTok over the use of children’s personal data, according to an official statement.
The announcement came on Monday from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). According to the watchdog, it has started investigating how TikTok processes the data of users aged between 13 and 17 to recommend content in their feed.
Reddit and Imgur have also come under the regulator’s scrutiny. They will be probed in connection with child data and its usage in the UK, the ICO has said. The overall investigation will assess how these platforms protect the privacy of minors.
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CANADA: X under investigation over personal data use for AI training
X has emerged on the radar of Canada’s privacy regulator, which is investigating whether the social media company’s use of Canadian consumers’ data for AI training violated federal privacy regulations, according to an official statement.
In a statement released last week by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the watchdog says it received a complaint regarding X’s practices related to the training of its AI models (Grok), which require large volumes of data. The regulator subsequently launched a probe into the matter.
“The investigation will focus on the platform’s compliance with federal privacy law with respect to its collection, use, and disclosure of Canadians’ personal information to train artificial intelligence models,” the statement reads.
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AUSTRALIA: Tech companies object to YouTube exemption from child social media ban
Leading tech companies have objected to YouTube being exempted from the ban on social media for children aged under 16 in Australia. The ban is expected to come into effect in December.
The companies that have opposed the exemption include Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat. They have termed YouTube’s exclusion from the ban “shortsighted” and “irrational”.
“It is illogical to restrict two platforms while exempting the third,” TikTok said in its submission. “It would be akin to banning the sale of soft drinks to minors but exempting Coca-Cola.”
In November last year, the Australian government banned social media for under-16s with the exception of YouTube. The legislation, which makes Australia the first country with toughest online restrictions for teens, covers popular platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.
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