Brazil fines TikTok owner ByteDance $30 million over minors' data handling

Brazil's data protection regulator has imposed a fine of more than 153 million reais (nearly $30 million) on ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, over failures in how the platform handles personal data belonging to children and teenagers.

The ruling, announced on Tuesday, found that TikTok breached data privacy laws by collecting and processing young users' personal information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards. The violations were identified across both logged-in accounts and guest browsing sessions.

The regulator has also ordered ByteDance to delete all data that was gathered illegally and to present a plan for improving its protection of minors. The company has ten days to appeal the decision and has not yet publicly commented on the ruling.

The action is the latest in a series of regulatory moves against social media platforms in Brazil. Earlier this month, the same body recommended suspending live broadcasts on Discord after the platform was linked to a suicide case.

Brazil's government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the country's Supreme Court have been attempting to regulate minors' internet use with mixed results. Similar regulatory efforts are underway in other countries, including Australia, Canada, and Indonesia.

First lady Rosângela Lula da Silva, known as Janja, has been a vocal critic of TikTok's protections for young users and called for the platform to be taken offline in August, citing safety concerns.