Amsterdam, June 2, (dpa/GNA) – Thousands of Dutch parents are demanding compensation for their children from the operators of the popular video platform TikTok.
In total, the claims amount to more than 1.4 billion euros (1.7 billion dollars), the Dutch Foundation for Market Information Research (SOMI) said on Wednesday. According to its own information, it represents more than 64,000 parents.
The reason given was that TikTok collects data from minors in order to show them targeted advertising without asking permission.
In addition, children are exposed to dangers through so-called challenges, in which users of the platform ask each other to perform risky acts.
According to its own information, the SOMI foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the fundamental rights of users of online services.
TikTok is owned by the Chinese group ByteDance. The platform operator had previously stated that it was taking steps to ensure the safety of young users.
According to TikTok’s terms of use, minors need the consent of their legal guardians. Children under 13 are generally not allowed to use the service.
The company also points out on its website that privacy controls are available to users so they can “choose the settings that are right for them.”
GNA