Brazil's National Data Protection Authority, known as the ANPD, has fined TikTok's parent company ByteDance R$ 153.7 million over data protection violations involving children and teenagers.
The regulatory fine follows an administrative investigation launched in 2024 into the video platform's handling of young users' personal information.
Lorena Giuberti Coutinho, a director at the ANPD, explained the details of the process during an interview with Live CNN. She stated that the financial penalty stems from past irregularities committed by the platform, during which ByteDance was granted full rights of defense.
Alongside the investigation, the agency conducted an enforcement inspection that resulted in a formal compliance plan. Under the agreement, TikTok accepted a series of commitments designed to reduce identified privacy risks for minors.
Coutinho emphasized that the most significant aspect of the decision is not the fine itself, but the concrete operational changes that users will experience going forward.
Changes to TikTok guest browsing
Among the key commitments assumed by TikTok is the complete suspension of advertising on its unregistered browsing feature. The account-free option allows individuals to view content on the platform without creating a user account.
Prior to the agreement, regulators expressed major concern regarding the collection of data from children and teenagers to direct targeted advertisements, as well as the sharing of that information with third parties without a legal basis. Regulatory estimates indicated that up to 20 percent of Brazilian children and adolescents had their personal data gathered while using the unregistered mode.
Under the new compliance rules, unregistered access to the TikTok feed will be limited to a cumulative 12 hours per device. In addition, users accessing the service without an account will only be exposed to content rated as appropriate for all age groups.
The ANPD had previously issued a preventive measure that temporarily suspended the unregistered feed at the start of its inspection process. Coutinho noted that the guest feed is now returning to operation with enhanced safeguards, adding that the regulatory authority will actively monitor TikTok to ensure full execution of all compliance commitments.
Separate regulatory action against Discord
During the interview, Coutinho was also asked about potential connections between the TikTok investigation and ongoing regulatory actions against Discord. She clarified that the two regulatory proceedings have entirely distinct legal natures.
While the enforcement action against TikTok was based strictly on Brazil's General Data Protection Law, known as the LGPD, the case involving Discord is grounded in the country's ECA Digital. The ECA Digital is a specific legal framework imposing dedicated obligations for protecting children and adolescents in digital environments.
In its preliminary investigation of Discord, the ANPD determined that the communication platform lacked adequate safeguards within its live streaming feature. Regulators found that this absence of protections exposed child and teenage users to heightened safety risks.
The ANPD implemented temporary preventive measures against Discord to encourage legal compliance. Coutinho said that further enforcement actions, including the potential imposition of a fine, remain possible as the agency continues discussions with Discord regarding age verification mechanisms and parental supervision tools.
