ANPD (National Data Protection Authority) imposed a R$ 153 million fine on ByteDance, TikTok's owner, based on the Digital ECA, a new law protecting children and adolescents in the digital environment. The agency also ordered the deletion of data collected irregularly from this age group.
The investigation found abuses both in access without registration, when young people consume videos without logging in, and in formally registered accounts. The example cited is an 8-year-old child who can watch a video shared via WhatsApp without having an account on the platform, which would supposedly be a safer visit because it is not linked to the algorithm.
This measure comes after ANPD suspended Discord lives where animals were tortured and teenagers self-harmed for audiences of young people who were systematically desensitized to extreme violence. The enforcement of the Digital ECA represents a fundamental step for the safety of children and adolescents in the digital environment.
