The Ministry of Justice has ordered TikTok to remove all content that is inappropriate for those under 18 years old.
According to a measure signed by director Laura Tirelli, National Consumer Secretary, and published this Friday (24), the platform was not able to ensure the security of the system that should limit access to adult content.
The deadline for the company to adopt the measure is 72 hours from when it receives the notification, with a fine of R$ 1,000 for each day the determination is not complied with.
The decision was revealed by the newspaper O Globo and confirmed by Sheet.
The Ministry of Justice says that the platform must carry out the “complete suspension of the broadcasting of inappropriate content for minors under 18, involving, for example – but not only – drug use, sexualization, gambling and violence”.
The folder also says that this applies to both open accounts and restricted content within the platform.
The measure will remain in effect “until the platform’s security system, which prevents the registration of minors under 13 years of age and limits access to all content for minors under 16 years of age, is improved, so that the age of users is effectively verified by the represented”, completes the decision signed by Tirelli.
The decision comes less than a year after TikTok announced it was creating stricter privacy controls for teens. The move came after the platform received criticism that it lacked measures to protect children from hidden advertising and inappropriate content.
Among other measures, the system includes a popup that appears so that teenagers under 16 can choose who can watch their videos.
The platform also started blocking notification alerts for users aged 13 to 15 after 9 pm, and at 10 pm for users aged 16 or 17.
Earlier, in early 2021, TikTok had already announced stricter usage rules for those under 18, for example, banning people between the ages of 13 and 15 from having public accounts. In addition, it limited comments on posts by users under the age of 16 to friends only.
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