TikTok Being Investigated Over Handling of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, Report Says – CNET

Sarah Tew/CNET TikTok, the short-form video app and social media platform, might be under scrutiny by a pair of US government agencies concerning its handling of child sexual abuse materials, according to a report Friday by the Financial Times. Both the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice are investigating TikTok, the report said.An anonymous source told the FT that the US Department of Justice is reviewing how a specific TikTok privacy feature is being exploited by predators. “It is a perfect place for predators to meet, groom and engage children,” Erin Burke, unit chief of the child exploitation investigations unit at Homeland Security’s cybercrime division, told the publication.When asked about the report, TikTok told CNET over email, “We’re not aware of any of the government investigations as alleged by the Financial Times, but TikTok has a zero tolerance policy on CSAM. Upon reading this story, we reached out to HSI to begin a dialogue and discuss opportunities to work together on our shared mission of ending child sexual exploitation online — just as we regularly engage with law enforcement agencies across the country on this crucial topic.”The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to CNET’s…
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