ISTANBUL, Turkiye: Turkish authorities have fined TikTok 1.75m lira ($93,000) for not taking sufficient measures to protect users from unlawful processing of their data, the Personal Data Protection Board (KVKK) said on Wednesday.
The fine comes amid growing international concern over the Chinese short video-sharing app and who accesses its user data. Government institutions in Europe and Canada banned the app from staff phones and the United States is discussing a bill giving President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok.
The KVKK said it had decided to fine the company for “not taking all necessary measures to ensure the appropriate level of security to prevent unlawful processing of personal data.”
The data protection authority also said in a statement on its website that TikTok should translate its Terms of Service into Turkish and update its privacy and cookies policy texts in line with the country’s regulations.
TikTok said they are looking into the Turkish regulator’s fine, adding that they remain committed to providing a safe and protected platform for users.
“Our uncompromising commitment is to provide all users with the peace of mind they deserve by ensuring the safety, security and protection of their personal information — because their trust matters to us,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
Turkiye has the ninth most users of TikTok in the world, with some 30 million accounts on the social media platform, data from Statista showed.
Turkiye fines TikTok 1.75m lira for weak data protection measures
https://arab.news/8w9dp
Turkiye fines TikTok 1.75m lira for weak data protection measures
- The fine comes amid growing international concern over the Chinese short video-sharing app
- Government institutions in Europe and Canada banned the app from staff phones
Tunisian journalist Chatha BelHajj Mubarak freed after sentence cut
- The court cut her sentence from five years to two, making her eligible for immediate release, her brother told Reuters
TUNIS: A Tunisian appeal court on Wednesday ordered the release of journalist Chatha BelHajj Mubarak, jailed since 2023 in a conspiracy case, after reducing her prison sentence, her family said.
The court cut her sentence from five years to two, making her eligible for immediate release, her brother told Reuters.
She was convicted in the so-called “Instalingo” case, which involved politicians, media figures and other defendants accused of conspiracy and financial crimes. BelHajj Mubarak denied the charges.
“Chatha is free and leaving prison,” her brother, Amen BelHajj Mubarak, said.
He said her health had severely deteriorated during her time in prison. She suffered serious complications, including significant hearing loss, and was diagnosed with cancer in detention, he added.
Tunisian authorities have said the case stems from judicial investigations into alleged financial and security-related offenses, and have rejected accusations by opposition groups that the prosecutions were politically motivated.
Tunisian prosecutors are pursuing a number of high-profile conspiracy cases involving politicians, journalists and activists. Several opposition leaders have received lengthy prison terms.
