TikTok locks out chunk of users, suggests absurd way to get in
FTC slapped TikTok with a fine of USD 5.7 million for illegally collecting data on children under the age of 13.
If you suddenly got locked out of TikTok on February 27, then you are not alone. A number of users were locked out following TikTok's effort at temporarily suspending accounts belonging to under-13 users.
The initial suggestion TikTok gave its users to restore their accounts was to correct their birthday entry in the app and confirm they are 13 years or older by submitting a copy of the government ID.
When users pointed to the absurdity of the updating process when they are not even able to access the app in the first place, TikTok suggested users to email their concerns to the support team.
Intrigued by the viral nature, some now-exiled users entered fake birthdays when creating their accounts. There is a likelihood of some of those accounts belonging to actual adults and not under-13 kids, Mashable reported.
The chaos ensued just a day after the FTC slapped TikTok with a fine of USD 5.7 million for illegally collecting data on children under the age of 13. The latest incident where the company has asked people to submit their IDs is sure to further start the debate on security and privacy.