TikTok withdraws appeal against UK privacy regulator’s fine: unlawful conduct is now established

TikTok has withdrawn its appeal against a £12.7 million fine imposed by the UK privacy regulator, the ICO, in 2023. As a result, both the fine and TikTok’s unlawful conduct (under UK law) are now established.

TikTok was fined for multiple privacy violations, including the unlawful processing of personal data of children under 13. According to the ICO, an estimated 1.75 million UK children under 13 used TikTok in 2020, despite the platform’s own rules prohibiting this. TikTok failed to carry out adequate age checks and did not clearly inform users how their data was being used.

The ICO had also launched a separate investigation into TikTok’s processing of personal data of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds within its recommendation systems. TikTok received an “information notice” in that context and appealed against it. That appeal has now also been withdrawn, allowing the ICO to continue its ongoing investigation.

The ICO’s fine decision once again shows that TikTok does not sufficiently protect the privacy of minors.

More information can be found in the ICO’s press release: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/09/tiktok-withdraws-two-appeals-in-children-s-privacy-action-and-accepts-127m-fine/