Italy is cracking down on TikTok after a 10-year-old girl died while attempting a dangerous challenge on the app. As a result, the Italian Data Protection Authority (GPDP) is now forcing TikTok to block all accounts that aren’t age-verified.
Italy Cracks Down on TikTok Safety
A young Italian girl passed away while attempting the life-threatening “blackout challenge” on TikTok. This prompted the GPDP to take swift action against the short-form video app.
A post on the GPDP’s website revealed that the organization will ban TikTok from processing information for any user “whose age could not be established with full certainty.”
This means that any user who hasn’t verified their age will be barred from using the app. The restriction will stay in place until February 15, 2021.
TikTok’s terms and conditions state that users should be 13 years of age or older. A TikTok spokesperson replied to the unfortunate incident in a statement to The Guardian, saying:
The safety of the TikTok community is our absolute priority, for this motive we do not allow any content that encourages, promotes or glorifies behaviour that could be dangerous.
Despite the numerous security measures TikTok has put in place for young users, it seems that it still hasn’t done enough.
Will Other Countries Follow Italy’s Example?
TikTok may only allow users who are 13 years of age or older to register on the app, but this doesn’t stop children from lying about their age. The platform may need to implement harsher rules for young users in order to prevent future tragedies.