TikTok fined R$ 153.7 million by Brazil's ANPD over child data protection

Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) has fined ByteDance, the operator of TikTok, R$ 153.7 million due to irregularities regarding the protection of children's and adolescents' data.

The investigation, which began in 2024, identified issues where data from minors was collected for advertising purposes and shared with third parties without legal basis. Estimates suggested that up to 20% of Brazilian children and adolescents had their data collected through these methods.

As part of a compliance plan, TikTok will implement several changes, including the total suspension of advertising in the “unregistered experience” mode, which allows users to access the feed without creating an account. The ANPD emphasized that the practical changes to platform safety are more significant than the financial penalty itself.