TikTok: What happens to profiles on February 9th

A mass disconnection February 9 for the cittàn users di TikTok. The popular Chinese short video app responds with this move to the order issued by the Privacy Guarantor cittàn, which requested the blocking of data processing for all users whose age is not verified with certainty.

TikTok came into the sights of the cittàn guarantor after the case of child died in Palermo last January 22 during a challenge launched by other users on the Chinese social network. The great diffusion of the app among children and adolescents sparked in the Privacy Guarantor fears for these users, giving to TikTok until February 15 to resolve the issue of verifying the age of accounts. On 9 February all cittàn profiles will login again, pointing to his own again age. A mild measure, given that those under the age of 13 can still declare a higher age so as not to have their profile removed.

TikTok: what happens on February 9th

Anyone who owns a cittàn profile of TikTok on February 9th you will be blocked by the app. In fact, cittàn users will have to relogin in the app and declare your age again to be able to access it. If you claim to be over 13, your account will be unlocked and you will be able to log into your profile regularly and use the app.

If, on the other hand, the user declares to have less than 13 years old, your previous account will not only remain blocked, it will come automatically deleted from the platform. TikTok will then base the removal or confirmation of the account based only on the individual user's statement, without imposing further, more in-depth methods of age verification.

TikTok, measures to avoid blocking

The Chinese app is ready to implement the necessary measures to avoid blocking after the provision issued by the Privacy Guarantor. The disconnection of the cittàn profiles on 9 February is only the first step, however considered an ineffective answer: anyone under the age of 13 can lie about their date of birth, as has often been done, to keep their account active.

This is not the only measure implemented: on January 25 the app announced that it intends to introduce a new button for report users who appear to be less than 13 years old. Furthermore, TikTok has pledged to double the number of cittàn moderators, so as to intercept dangerous contents, such as some challenges that spread among the youngest.

TikTok, age verification with artificial intelligence

Among other measures under consideration by TikTok, there is also the one to use artificial intelligence for the processes of "age verification", that is of age certification by the app. Artificial intelligence will be able to determine the age range of the user by analyzing their behaviors and posts, exploiting profiling algorithms that are already used by the app to show users personalized commercials.

In order to use AI, TikTok has undertaken to initiate a discussion on the use of personal data with the Irish Privacy Officer, Country in which the app has its registered office, while the cittàn authority has promised that it will continue to supervise the processing of data by the app until the problems that have emerged in recent months are resolved.

TikTok: What happens to profiles on February 9th