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Lanon Wee

Investigation into TikTok Launched over Inaccurate Data Provision

The UK communications watchdog is conducting an inquiry into TikTok due to the app allegedly supplying it with inaccurate data. The platform is currently under examination to ascertain if it disregarded a lawful information request. The content fed into a report issued by Ofcom on Thursday investigated what action video-sharing platforms are taking to prevent children from accessing harmful material. TikTok attributed the malfunction to a technical issue, and notified Ofcom after identifying the issue, which led to the investigation. Its accuracy was being examined, not its parental controls. Ofcom requested data from TikTok, Snap and Twitch on their implementation of legal provisions safeguarding minors against potentially damaging footage that could affect their physical, mental or moral wellbeing. The research discovered that despite the measures taken by the three platforms to guard against children seeing potentially harmful videos, there is still sometimes a risk of harm to them while they are using these platforms. Ofcom inquired as to the effectiveness of TikTok's parental control system, but found cause to doubt the validity of the information provided by TikTok. TikTok was queried concerning its parental control system, known as "Family Pairing", which was unveiled in April 2020. The system permits parents to connect their profile to their child's and regulate matters like screen time, private communications, content regulation and privacy configurations. Users below the age of 18 can disable Family Pairing whenever they want, however parents will be informed if they do. Ofcom have stated they may revise their report if they obtain additional precise data from TikTok. Research from Ofcom has indicated that over one-fifth of children between 8 and 17 years old possess an online profile for an adult. The report highlighted that TikTok, Twitch and Snap mandate users to be 13 years or older. However, it was effortless for users to gain access by entering an inaccurate age. The report suggests that the platforms should investigate ways to better identify children and stop them from being exposed to harm. In comparison with OnlyFans, a subscription-based platform widely recognized for its explicit content, which employs facial age estimation, ID and other methods for verifying that users are adults, there are multiple stages of checks. Platforms employed various techniques to detect underage users who made accounts, such as AI and human moderators. The regulator remarked that it was arduous to determine the quantity of underage users based on the present figures. Ofcom observed that on Twitch - an online streaming platform popular with gamers - content is freely available, meaning anyone, regardless of age or account status, can view videos even if they are deemed as 'mature'. The report suggested that the platforms' content warnings could be disregarded. Although TikTok and Snap had parental controls in place, Ofcom discovered that Twitch requires that parents monitor their children's activity while using the platform, as stipulated in the service's terms and conditions. Parents could ask for their child's account to be taken down, provided they present certain account info and a signed form to demonstrate their relationship with the child. Nevertheless, Twitch reported that over the 12-month period from August 2022, not a single parent had contacted them to make such a request. Twitch has loosened its regulations to enable artwork that includes nudity to be present on its platform. The report examined the compliance of the firms with regulations pertaining to video sharing platforms based in the UK. Firms are soon to be obligated to abide by the recently approved Online Safety Act which necessitates that minors be safeguarded against any deleterious social media material. In Spring 2024, Ofcom will be seeking input on its advice regarding the broad child safety provisions set out in the new legislation.

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