TikTok taps out in UK child privacy battle, accepts $16.8M fine

TikTok has agreed to pay a £12.7 ($16.8) million fine, bringing an investigation into the platform’s use of children’s data in its recommender systems a step closer.

In 2023, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s privacy and data protection authority, imposed the £12.7 million penalty after it found that TikTok had breached data protection law, including unlawfully using children’s personal data.

In addition, TikTok failed to conduct adequate checks to identify and remove children under 13 from its platform. The ICO estimated that approximately 1.75 million UK children in that age group used TikTok in 2020.

The platform also failed to inform users about how their data was collected, used, and shared, preventing them from making informed decisions. Lastly, TikTok didn’t manage to obtain parental consent for active users under the age of 13.

The online video platform appealed the fine, but recently decided to drop the appeal, making the £12.7 million penalty final.

TikTok has also withdrawn an appeal against an ICO information request detailing how the company processes the information of children aged 13 to 17 in its recommender systems.

TikTok’s appeal prevented the data protection authority from progressing its investigation into the matter, which was launched in February 2025. Now that the appeal has been dropped, the privacy watchdog can continue its probe.

“How companies design online services and use children’s personal information has a significant impact on young people’s experience in the digital world. Our successful action against TikTok shows how important it is for companies to have the right protections in place, including to prevent access by children who are not old enough to be using their services,” Emily Keaney, Deputy Commissioner at the ICO, says in a statement.

She goes on by saying that the ICO welcomes TikTok’s withdrawal of its appeals.

“We look forward to being able to further progress our ongoing work to protect children's personal information and help build public trust in digital services,” Keany concludes.

TikTok’s decision to drop its appeals comes after a ruling by the UK Upper Tribunal, which rejected the company’s argument that personal data of children was processed for “artistic purposes.” The ruling removed a legal obstacle that TikTok had relied on in challenging the ICO’s fine.

Recently, TikTok agreed to a $100 million settlement with the US state of Alabama in a case over alleged addictive design features, such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and push notifications.

In addition to the payment, TikTok agreed to implement a series of additional safety features to protect children when they use the platform, including a 2-hour daily time limit, pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use, restricted access during nighttime, and stronger content moderation provisions.