A Canadian investigation has found that TikTok’s efforts to prevent children from using the app and to protect their personal data have been inadequate. The joint probe, conducted by Canada’s federal privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne and privacy officials from Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta, concluded that hundreds of thousands of Canadian children use TikTok each year, despite the company’s terms of service stating it is not intended for people under the age of 13. The investigation also found that TikTok had collected sensitive personal information from “a large number” of Canadian children and used it for online marketing and content targeting.
At a news conference, Dufresne stated that the platform collects “vast” amounts of information from its users, including children, and that this data is being used to target content and ads, which “can have harmful impacts, particularly on youth.” In Quebec, for example, the investigation found that 40% of young people aged 6 to 17 have a TikTok account.
TikTok’s Response and Pledged Changes
In response to the investigation, TikTok told the BBC that it will introduce a number of measures to “strengthen our platform for Canadians,” although it disputes some of the findings. The company agreed to enhance its age-assurance methods to keep underage users off the platform and to more clearly communicate how user data may be used. A TikTok spokesperson said the company is pleased that the commissioners accepted its proposals and that it remains “committed to maintaining strong transparency and privacy practices,” but did not specify which findings it disagreed with.
A Global Pattern of Scrutiny
The Canadian investigation is the latest in a series of actions by governments around the world to scrutinize TikTok’s impact on users and address national security concerns over the Chinese-owned app. In the U.S., President Donald Trump is negotiating a deal that could see TikTok’s U.S. operations taken over by a group of American companies. The European Commission has ordered staff to remove the TikTok app from their phones, and the Canadian government has also ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business. Beijing and the company have repeatedly denied allegations that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government.
Author’s Opinion
This investigation highlights a fundamental and perhaps unsolvable problem for social media platforms. While platforms can create rules and implement technology to prevent underage use, the allure of social networks is so strong that children will always find a way to circumvent these measures. The real issue is not just about a platform’s technical safeguards, but a broader societal challenge of how to protect children’s data and mental well-being in an era of pervasive digital media. The report’s findings confirm that for companies, the financial incentive to collect data often outweighs the ethical obligation to protect the most vulnerable users, a tension that will continue to fuel regulatory battles for the foreseeable future.
Featured image credit: Olivier Bergeron via Unsplash
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.