TikTok owner ByteDance has been fined nearly $30 million by Brazil’s data protection authority over its handling of personal data belonging to teenagers.
Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority imposed a penalty of 153.8 million reais, around $29.81 million, after finding that TikTok’s Brazilian unit processed data of users aged 13 to 18 without a valid legal basis.
The regulator has ordered ByteDance to delete the affected teenagers’ data within 60 business days if proper legal representation or assistance has not been established.
The company must also notify third parties that received the data and submit a technical report along with system audit logs showing compliance with the order.
ByteDance could face an additional daily penalty of 137,081.49 reais for failing to meet the data deletion requirement. However, it can reduce the main fine by 25% by waiving its appeal rights within 10 business days and paying within 20 business days.
The action adds to growing regulatory scrutiny over how social media platforms handle children’s and teenagers’ data.
