• TikTok's measures to protect children’s data deemed inadequate by Canadian authorities.
• Investigation revealed the app collects sensitive data from hundreds of thousands of minors.
• Company agrees to enhance protections but disputes some findings.

A recent investigation by Canadian authorities has found that TikTok's efforts to block children from using its platform and to protect their personal data have been significantly inadequate. The joint inquiry, conducted by Canada's privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne and provincial privacy officials, indicated that "hundreds of thousands" of children access TikTok yearly, despite its restriction that the app is not intended for those under 13 years old, according to Reuters, BBC, AA, and India Times.

The report highlighted that TikTok had collected sensitive personal information from a "large number" of Canadian children, utilizing this data for targeted advertising and content. Dufresne emphasized the potential harmful impacts of such practices on youth, stating, "This data is being used to target the content and ads that users see, which can have harmful impacts, particularly on youth," according to Reuters, BBC, and AA.

In response to the findings, TikTok has pledged to bolster its age-verification processes and enhance communication regarding how user data, especially for minors, may be used. The company aims to restrict marketing activities directed at users under the age of 18, while also improving the privacy information accessible to Canadian users, according to BBC and India Times.

Despite agreeing to implement these measures, TikTok has expressed disagreement with several findings of the investigation but has not specified which ones. The scrutiny surrounding TikTok is part of broader global debates regarding the app's data security and its ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. Continued investigations by various governments, including those in the U.S. and E.U., reflect ongoing concerns regarding user data privacy, according to AA and India Times.