Canadian Investigation Finds TikTok Collected Sensitive Data on Children Despite Age Rules
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
Ottawa, September 2025 — Canadian privacy regulators have concluded that TikTok collected sensitive personal data from children despite its rule barring users under 13. The findings raise concerns about how the popular video app protects young users and handles their information.
What Investigators Found
A joint probe led by Canada’s federal and provincial privacy watchdogs revealed that:
- Children are active on TikTok in large numbers, even though the platform officially restricts accounts for those under 13.
- The app collected a wide range of data, including device details, browsing behavior, facial and voice identifiers, and inferred information such as age, gender, and interests.
- Privacy policies and user notices were often unclear and difficult for minors or parents to understand, making informed consent questionable.
Concerns Over Protection Measures
Regulators said TikTok’s methods for preventing underage access — such as age verification and automated detection — were inadequate. As a result, younger children were able to bypass restrictions and were exposed to tailored ads and recommended content.
The report emphasized that minors are particularly vulnerable to the impact of profiling and targeted advertising, which can influence behavior and expose them to inappropriate material.
TikTok’s Response
TikTok has pledged to strengthen its safeguards, including:
- Improved age-assurance tools to detect and block under-13 accounts more effectively.
- Clearer privacy policies, written in simpler terms for younger users and parents.
- Stricter limits on targeted advertising for anyone under 18.
The company said it remains committed to working with Canadian authorities to ensure compliance with privacy standards.
Why It Matters
Children’s privacy online has become a central issue for regulators worldwide. The Canadian findings highlight the risks of weak protection measures on platforms used daily by millions of young people.
Experts say the case could shape how other countries set rules around data collection, advertising, and consent for minors in the digital space.
Next Steps
Privacy commissioners will monitor TikTok’s promised changes and may pursue further enforcement if compliance falls short. The investigation is also expected to fuel broader debates about how governments and tech companies can better safeguard young users on social media.
