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The Italian information privateness watchdog ordered video app TikTok on Friday to block the accounts of any customers in Italy whose age it couldn’t confirm following the dying of a 10-year-previous woman who had been utilizing the Chinese-owned app.
In a press release, the regulator stated that though TikTok had dedicated to ban registration for youngsters aged below 13, it was nonetheless simple to circumvent this rule.
As a outcome, it stated TikTok had to block unverified person accounts till a minimum of February 15 awaiting additional info.
There was no fast response from TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance and has been quickly rising in recognition all over the world, significantly amongst youngsters.
The ruling got here after a lady died of asphyxiation in Palermo, Sicily, in a case that has shocked Italy.
Her mother and father stated she had been taking part in a so-known as blackout problem on TikTok, placing a belt round her neck and holding her breath whereas recording herself on her telephone.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into doable incitement to suicide and are wanting to see whether or not somebody invited her to participate in the problem.
“The watchdog decided to intervene as a matter of urgency following the terrible case of the 10-year-old girl from Palermo,” the authority stated.
It stated TikTok was banned from “further processing user data for which there is no absolute certainty of age and, consequently, of compliance with the provisions related to the age requirement”.
An official stated this meant that customers of unverified accounts would now not have the opportunity to add movies or work together with different individuals on the platform.
The watchdog stated it had raised issues with TikTok in December over what it known as a sequence of violations, together with allegations the agency had failed to shield minors.
It added that it had instructed the authorities in Ireland about its choice as a result of TikTok has introduced that it might run its European operations out of Dublin.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
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