Milan: Popular video app TikTok said Wednesday it had agreed with Italian authorities to block all users who are under the age of 13. This measure was taken after the death of a 10-year-old girl was blamed on TikTok. The girl was participating in a breath-holding social media challenge. Prosecutors in Palermo are investigating the case, which has led to increased scrutiny of children’s use of social media platforms.
TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It first gained popularity in Asia and now also has a big following in the West. It has become hugely popular among teenagers in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, India have banned TikTok in the aftermath of the skirmish at Galwan Valley in Ladakh. Twenty Indian soldiers died in the clash against Chinese troops.
The Italian regulator said TikTok had agreed to block all accounts in Italy from February 9. They will readmit only users who provided a date of birth showing they were at least 13 years old.
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Alexandra Evans, Tiktok’s head of child safety in Europe, said it would also introduce a button into the app. This would enable members to report users who appeared to be under 13. The regulator said TikTok had also agreed to evaluate using artificial intelligence to detect under-age accounts.
It will, however, have to discuss the proposal with the Irish privacy authority, which is the European Union’s lead data protection authority for Tik Tok because the firm has its European head office in Ireland.