A joint investigation by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and provincial privacy offices in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta has found that TikTok’s measures to keep children off the platform and protect their personal information are inadequate.Despite the platform being intended for users over 13, hundreds of thousands of Canadian children access TikTok each year, with their data collected and used for profiling and targeted advertising. The investigation also found that teen and adult users are not given clear information on how their data is collected or used, and meaningful consent is often lacking.TikTok has agreed to strengthen privacy communications, improve age-assurance methods to prevent underage access, and provide more privacy information in French. The company also stopped allowing advertisers to target users under 18 except through broad categories like language and approximate location..“TikTok is one of the most prevalent social media applications used in Canada, and it is collecting vast amounts of personal information about its users, including a large number of Canadian children,” said Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne. “Personal data profiles of youth are used at times to target advertising content directly to them, which can have harmful impacts on their well-being.”Lise Girard, President of Quebec’s Commission d’accès à l’information, highlighted that 40% of young people aged 6 to 17 in Quebec have a TikTok account, including 17% of children aged 6 to 12. She urged digital companies to take responsibility for protecting young users without waiting for regulatory intervention..Michael Harvey, British Columbia’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, said the investigation underscores the need for age-appropriate privacy safeguards to be built into technology from the earliest stages of design.Diane McLeod, Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, added that children face broad risks on TikTok, from exposure to inappropriate content to targeted advertising that can influence identity, development, and body image.The investigation’s goal is to create a safer, more transparent online environment where children can explore, learn, and grow without compromising their privacy or security. TikTok’s commitments mark a step toward improving protections for young users, but privacy commissioners say continued monitoring is necessary.
