A very high percentage of TikTok users around the world are minors. Some of them are even under 13 years old, something that contravenes the platform’s own rules of Asian origin. The company is aware and makes very little effort to prevent it. This has been demonstrated by an investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian, which reveals how easy it is for these boys and girls to bypass the application’s security protocols.
The Guardian cites as an example a user who declared that he was 12 years old in his account biography – below the minimum age of 13 years established by TikTok – and who was allowed to remain on the platform because his user profile included that the account was managed by his parents. It was not true.
One of TikTok’s moderators asked if they should ban the user’s account, and the company’s internal communications responded that if the account’s bio said it was managed by parents, moderators could allow the account to remain on the platform.
This was the last order received by a group of more than 70 moderators, who are in charge of reviewing content mainly from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Employees are also indoctrinated to turn a blind eye and not suspend accounts that share videos in which minors appear when their parents appear in the images, even if it is in the background.
From TikTok they deny these accusations and assure that they are “wrong or based on misunderstandings”, highlighting their commitment to maintaining the stipulated minimum age: “Our community guidelines apply equally to all content on TikTok and we do not allow children under 13 years of age. on our platform”, they say from the company.
The information from The Guardian comes after TikTok received a historic fine of 12.7 million pounds in the United Kingdom in April for the misuse of minors’ data, something that has placed them in the crosshairs of regulators. again.