Some Italian users will not be able to use TikTok, at least for the moment. After the news of the death of the 10-year-old girl found suffocated for alleged participation in an online challenge, the Privacy Guarantor ordered the prohibition of processing user data that within the platform have not yet indicated theirs chronological age. This means that for the entire duration of this block, the platform cannot be used by users who fall into this category, that is, who have not indicated their age in the app. The stop ordered today will remain in effect until February 15.
“The Guarantor for the protection of personal data has ordered against TikTok the immediate blocking of the use of data of users for whom the age of the registry has not been ascertained with certainty” reads the note of the authority. But what changes, then, for Italian users? In theory, not much: if you have indicated your age in the app and you have more than 13 years old, the app will continue to run smoothly. If you have not done so, the app will not be usable until you indicate that you are over 13 years old. In reality, the measure does not affect a large number of users, because just a few weeks ago the platform required all its users (including in Italy) to indicate their date of birth. Old and virtually inactive accounts will be affected.
“The Authority has decided on the further intervention today in order to ensure immediate protection for minors registered on the social network present in Italy” continues the note. “The Authority therefore prohibited TikTok from further processing the data of users for whom there is no absolute certainty of age and, consequently, of compliance with the provisions linked to the personal data requirement”. In practice, for affected users this decision will result in the inability to use the application at least until February 15, unless you enter your date of birth. A decision that doesn’t actually solve what is the biggest problem of all these platforms: younger users lie about age. Net of the checks that TikTok makes on users, the very young are relatively free to lying about their age even if they are under 13. For example, little Antonella did when she opened an account on TikTok at 9 years old.
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