TikTok in Hot Water: Amsterdam-based Consumer Group Slaps Lawsuit on Social Media Giant in Berlin Court
Consumer Grievance: TikTok Owes Reparations to Its Users - TikTok to shell out money to its users as compensation
Whoa there! The ball is rolling as a Dutch non-profit consumer advocacy group, Stichting Onderzoek Marktinformatie (Somi), has taken TikTok to task in Berlin’s Kammergericht. A court spokeswoman confirmed the juicy news, and if you're a German consumer, you can hop on this legal bandwagon with minimal legalese hoops to jump through. Back in May, Somi went after Elon Musk's X platform with a similar lawsuit in Berlin.
Somi points the finger at TikTok for illegally amassing and analyzing extremely personal data. This slick Chinese company, Bytedance, clandestinely assembles exhaustive behavioral and personality profiles for advertising and other commercial purposes. To top it all off, TikTok’s mollycoddling algorithm creates an atmosphere of manipulation and addiction, particularly for kids and young adults.
TikTok, for the moment, has yet to weigh in on the matter.
For those eager to lend a hand to the legal crusade, simply register in the litigation registry of the Federal Office of Justice. If the lawsuit wins, they'll reap the financial rewards without the need for a separate lawsuit – yippee! The court spokeswoman spilled the beans.
The consumer warriors of Somi allege damages for TikTok users in their lawsuit. The payout depends on the age of the affected individual. Minors under 16 years old at the time of joining TikTok stand to collect 2000 euros, while those between 16 and 21 can expect 1000 euros, and those aged over 21 are entitled to 500 euros.
Though the details are yet to appear in the class action registry on the Federal Office of Justice's website, it's expected to pop up in the coming days. Once it does, consumers and small businesses can put in their claims. The Federal Office of Justice will post a registration form on its website at www.bundesjustizamt.de/verbandsklagen. To avoid any delays, it's best to use the electronic registration option. Claims must be submitted within three weeks following the conclusion of the oral hearing.
Here's the lowdown on the ongoing legal kerfuffle:
- Plaintiff: Stichting Onderzoek Marktinformatie (Somi)
- Court: Berlin Regional Court (Kammergericht Berlin)
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Issue: Class action lawsuit against TikTok for data privacy violations
- Defendant: Bytedance Ltd. (TikTok’s parent company)
- Target Group: Consumers and small businesses in Germany
- Status: Ongoing litigation; consumers encouraged to participate to seek compensation
[1] Enrichment Data: The lawsuit alleges that TikTok has engaged in unlawful data collection and manipulation, including compiling extensive behavioral and personality profiles for commercial purposes, particularly targeting advertising. More concerns have been raised regarding TikTok's potential impact on children and adolescents, suggesting that the platform fosters manipulation and dependency through its algorithm. Participation in the class action involves filing a claim online with the Federal Office of Justice in Germany. If successful, participants will receive compensation directly as part of the group action. The compensation varies by age, with minors under 16 potentially receiving €2,000, those aged between 16 and 21 eligible for €1,000, and users over 21 entitled to €500. No response has been received from TikTok regarding the allegations as of the latest reports. The suit is ongoing, and consumers are encouraged to join the class action to seek compensation for the alleged data privacy breaches.
- By filing a claim online with the Federal Office of Justice in Germany, consumers and small businesses can participate in the ongoing class action lawsuit against TikTok, potentially receiving compensation of €2,000, €1,000, or €500 depending on their age, as they allege the social media giant has violated their data privacy and created an atmosphere of manipulation and addiction, especially for children and young adults.
- The ongoing legal battle between Stichting Onderzoek Marktinformatie (Somi) and TikTok in Berlin’s Kammergericht involves charges of data privacy violations, with the consumer advocacy group accusing TikTok of illegally amassing and analyzing personal data, and using it for advertising and commercial purposes, while also claiming that TikTok’s algorithm fosters manipulation and addiction, particularly among children and young adults. In this litigation, EC countries' principles of free movement of workers, freedom to provide services, and technology and finance sectors' role in data handling may come under scrutiny as the case progresses.
