MILAN (AP) – The Italian data protection authority said on Friday it was imposing an immediate block on TikTok’s access to data for any user whose age has not been verified.
The official said he was acting “urgently” after the death of a 10-year-old girl in Sicily, who died while participating in a so-called “blackout” challenge while using the Chinese-owned social video sharing network.
Prosecutors in Sicily are investigating the case.
The data protection authority noted that it warned TikTok in December of a number of violations, including little attention to the protection of minors, the ease with which users under 13 could sign up to the platform – against their own rules – the lack of transparency in the information provided to users and the use of automatic settings that do not respect privacy.
“While waiting for a response, the authority decided to take steps to ensure the immediate protection of minors in Italy registered on the network,” the official said in a statement.
The blockade will be in effect until at least February 15, when new assessments will be made.
TikTok earlier this month released some stricter privacy features for users under the age of 18, including a new standard private setting for accounts with users aged 13 to 15. The new practices, affecting users worldwide, followed a move by US regulators to order TikTok and other social media services to disclose how their practices affect children and adolescents.