From PC Mag: Texas is suing social video platform TikTok over children's privacy, claiming the app is sharing and selling minors' personal information in a way that violates the state's Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE Act). TikTok is also being accused of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA).
The SCOPE Act came into effect Sept. 1 and requires apps, websites, or software publishers to ask users for their age, and, if a minor, add extra protections to stop the minor's personal information or data from being sold or collected to show targeted ads to an underaged person in the state.
Apps must also be transparent about how they use algorithms to target minors with content, and must create parental tools to help parents monitor a minor's use of an online platform. TikTok has failed to provide adequate parental tools and has shared minors' information without parental permission, the complaint alleges. Texas also takes issue with the fact that TikTok isn't verifying parents' identities on the app with its existing "Family Pairing" feature.
"I will continue to hold TikTok and other Big Tech companies accountable for exploiting Texas children and failing to prioritize minors’ online safety and privacy," said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a statement.
View: Full Article
