Brazil: TikTok fined $29.8 million for unlawful data processing

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has been fined 153.8 million reais, equivalent to around $29.8 million, by Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) for violating Brazilian legislation on the protection of personal data.

The decision, published in the government’s Official Gazette, states that ByteDance’s Brazilian unit processed the personal data of teenagers aged 13 to 18 without a valid legal basis.

The authority also ordered ByteDance to delete, within 60 business days, the data of teenagers for whom legal representation or assistance has not been arranged. The company must also inform the third parties with whom the data was shared.

After this deadline expires, ByteDance will have five business days to submit a technical report signed by the data protection officer, along with system logs proving that the required measures have been implemented.

ByteDance Brasil did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.

Increased oversight of online platforms in Brazil is aimed at strengthening the protection of children and teenagers. This approach reflects an international trend, as Australia, France and China are adopting or considering stricter restrictions on minors’ use of social media.

On August 12, the ANPD also asked Discord to suspend its streaming programs amid concerns about exposing children and teenagers to harmful material.