The role of social media is undoubtedly remarkable in every aspect of life. Everyone has a mobile phone; according to the report, more than 8.5 billion people in the world use mobile phones. 6.84 billion People worldwide use smart phones. According to the 2024 report, people spend 5 to 6 hours on their smartphones. While there are benefits associated with technology, there are also drawbacks. According to the report, 27.86% of TikTok users are aged 13-17, and 40.32% are aged 17-24 years old. Without a doubt, the age range of 13-17 represents the emotional and intellectual peak of the era. The teenager’s privacy is the main concern for most parents. The teenager’s parents are demanding that TikTok take the persimmon from the side of parents in the matter of teenagers.
TikTok and Parents Concerns
Recently, in the US, the issue was that TikTok obtained consent from parents for the use of their child’s TikTok. Officials said the firm and its parent company, Byte Dance, were “repeat offenders,” noting a similar case brought in 2019. The parents’ demand is to protect teenagers’ rights while also protecting their privacy on TikTok. On the other hand, a representative from TikTok asserts that they disagree with those blaming them, that they have already taken steps to protect privacy, and that they are actively working on further measures. The parents reported the case in the US and placed the blame on TikTok.
Issues regarding TikTok and Child Privacy
When parents place the blame on TikTok, even when they attempt to delete their children’s pictures from their accounts, the pictures continue to remain on their accounts. The report says that from 2019 to 2021, the parents reported 1700 applications, but only 30% were entered; the rest of the applications are still in the process. The issue of privacy remains a significant challenge, with no measures in place to safeguard children’s privacy. In this situation, parents must fulfill their responsibilities to protect their children.
Protection and Permission
TikTok disputed the claims and said it was “proud” of its efforts to protect children. Despite the security concerns, we continue to closely monitor the situation. A Chinese company owns TikTok. American lawmakers have prohibited the use of TikTok on U.S. government devices, and a proposal is currently underway in the United States to outright ban it. Installing a social media app on Android or Apple phones and devices presents a major problem due to its GPS-based location tracking capabilities. The networks you’re connected to will also be able to view badge notifications, so if you receive a message from a friend, your mother, or another individual, The TikTok application on your phone has the ability to read badge notifications because you’ve granted it those permissions. Upon examining all the permissions, you’ll find that most users are either aware of them or willing to entrust them to a company.
Privacy Poses a Greater Risk
TikTok, despite the way it gathers information, ultimately isn’t insanely different from other social media applications. However, I believe that privacy poses a greater risk for most people when considering it from a broader perspective. On TikTok, a significant portion of the user base comprises younger generations, including adolescents, teenagers, and young adults, who are susceptible to radicalization. This has happened in the past with issues like the DNC hack, where there was no tampering of the actual technical vote counts; rather, it was the amplification of divisive issues and targeting towards audiences.
TikTok and Other Social Media Use By the Blackmailer
 If I were a surveillance agent, I wouldn’t be as concerned about you. For example, could I hack into your phone, find pictures of you, and use them as blackmail? I’d be more concerned about who you hang out with, what communities you are part of, what social institutions you do not get along with, and how I can use that to radicalize you. I aim to use you as a tool to further our political agenda. Yeah, I mean, you could certainly see theoretically right that during a political campaign or just a debate within a country on a polarizing issue, if you know how any social media platform, including Tick Tock, could manipulate. You raise an interesting question about how people feel when certain videos receive more promotion than others.
Everyone has a responsibility to safeguard the privacy of each individual. The social media companies must take measures to protect the privacy of children. Teachers, parents, and stakeholders play their roles for the betterment of society and children.
Dr. Abid Hussain Nawaz, Post Doc, Ph.D.
Muhammad Mudassir, MPhil Scholar in Social work
Informative and insightful piece. Thank you for sparking the conversation!