Popular Chinese app TikTok now in child privacy row

New Delhi: The popularity of China-based video social networking app TikTok has risen quickly to become a craze among teenagers, especially in India, but not without its share of controversies. Barely 10 days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) economic wing Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) called for a ban of the app in India, allegedly for helping spread child pornography content, the operators of TikTok have agreed to pay $5.7 million (nearly Rs 40 crore) to settle the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations that the company illegally collected personal information from children. The FTC’s complaint alleged that Musical.ly – now known as TikTok — violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires that websites and online services directed to children obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13. “The operators of Musical.ly –now known as TikTok – knew many children were using the app but they still failed to seek parental consent before collecting names, email addresses, and other personal information from users under the age of 13,” FTC Chairman Joe Simons said in a statement late Wednesday. Following the agreement with FTC, TikTok, owned by owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, said it had implemented changes to give children in the US separate in-app experience with additional safety and privacy protections. The app is very popular in India, especially among teenagers. (IANS)