Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has fined TikTok £1.875 million for failing to provide accurate information about its parental control feature. 

The penalty comes after an investigation revealed shortcomings in TikTok’s data governance processes and delays in addressing the issue.

The regulator sought data on TikTok’s adoption of its “Family Pairing” feature as part of a broader assessment of safety measures on video-sharing platforms. 

This information was intended to inform a report on child protection measures and assist parents in making decisions about platform usage.

TikTok submitted its response on September 4, 2023. However, on December 1, 2023, the company disclosed that the provided data was inaccurate and that an internal investigation was underway. 

Ofcom launched its own inquiry on December 14 to determine whether TikTok had complied with its statutory obligations.

The investigation uncovered several issues:

1. TikTok lacked sufficient checks to ensure data accuracy before submission.
2. The company delayed informing Ofcom about the error for over three weeks.
3. TikTok’s tardiness disrupted Ofcom’s work, forcing the removal of TikTok’s parental control data from the transparency report.

Despite committing to provide accurate information from an alternative source, TikTok faced further delays. The company finally submitted accurate but partial data on March 28, 2024, more than seven months after the original deadline.

Ofcom concluded that TikTok contravened its duties under the Communications Act 2003 by failing to fully cooperate with the statutory request for information and the production of the Child Safety Report.

In determining the fine, Ofcom considered TikTok’s size and resources, the direct impact on regulatory work, and that this was TikTok’s first breach of Ofcom rules. 

The regulator acknowledged TikTok’s proactive self-reporting and subsequent efforts to improve internal processes, resulting in a 25% reduction from the initial penalty.

“Ofcom’s job is to scrutinize platforms’ safety features, and gathering information is critical to holding tech firms to account,” said Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s Enforcement Director. 

“When we demand data, it must be accurate and submitted on time. We won’t hesitate to take enforcement action if any company fails to do this,” Cater added.

The fine will be transferred to HM Treasury, as per regulatory procedure.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a TikTok spokesperson said: “We inadvertently provided inaccurate information to Ofcom regarding the use of Family Pairing in the U.K., which significantly undercounted the actual number of people using this pioneering parenting tool.”

The spokesperson added that while the company subsequently provided the correct information, they fell short of their obligations by not reporting the error sooner and apologized for any disruption this caused.