Brazil’s data protection watchdog has hit TikTok with a hefty fine of nearly $30 million for breaking the rules on how it manages children’s information.

The National Data Protection Agency announced on Tuesday that it found serious problems with how the social media platform processes data belonging to children and teenagers.

The fine totals 153,7 million reais (R467 million). On top of the financial penalty, the agency ordered TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to delete all data that was collected illegally.

TikTok has agreed to roll out a plan to better protect young users on its platform. The company will now automatically apply tougher privacy settings to accounts belonging to children under 16. It must also strengthen tools that let parents monitor their children’s activity and bring in stricter filters for content.

The social media giant had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

This is not the first time Brazil’s data protection agency has taken action against social platforms. Earlier this month, it ordered streaming platform Discord to suspend livestreams and video calls after a teenage girl was allegedly encouraged to end her life during a broadcast. Discord has filed an appeal, which is now under review.

Brazil has been cracking down on social media companies in recent years. A new law requires platforms to link accounts of users under 16 to their parents’ accounts and verify ages.

In 2024, the country blocked Elon Musk’s platform X for 40 days until it complied with Supreme Court orders to remove accounts spreading false information.

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