Brazil opens investigation into TikTok for violating consumer rights

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazilian authorities have opened an administrative procedure to investigate whether Chinese social network TikTok violates rights under the Consumer Protection Law, such as protection against harmful content, official sources said Monday.

The National Consumer Affairs Secretariat, a body affiliated with the Ministry of Justice, said in the Official Gazette of the Union that it would “launch preliminary investigations into irregularities and illegal behavior” of the popular platform.

According to the body, there are “indications of violations” of some articles of the Consumer Protection Law, which deal with the protection of consumers from “dangerous or harmful” services and “misleading and abusive” advertising.

Brazil considers abusive any “discriminatory advertising that incites violence, exploits fear or superstition” or takes advantage of the consumer’s “weakness or ignorance, taking into account his age, health, knowledge or social situation.”

Last June, the National Secretariat for Consumer Affairs ordered the social network to suspend the display of content deemed “inappropriate” for minors.

TikTok, which will be able to defend itself once it is notified of the administrative proceedings, claimed at the time that it was already removing posts that did not comply with its content policy and assured that it does not allow children under 13 to register.

The Chinese platform is the fastest growing social network globally and one of the most used by Brazilian users.