Chinese video hosting platform TikTok has been hit with a £12.7 million penalty from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over the misuse of children’s data.

Given that TikTok has an age limit of 13, the ICO said that it also failed to roll out sufficient checks to identify and remove underage users.

According to the organisation, an estimated one million under 13s were inappropriately granted access to the platform, with TikTok collecting and using their data.

An investigation by the ICO found that a concern was raised internally with some senior employees about children under 13 using the platform and not being removed.

Under UK data protection law, firms that use personal data when offering what the ICO describes as "information society services" to children under 13 must have consent from their parents or carers.

The organisation revealed that personal data belonging to children under 13 had been used without parental consent, which means the platform broke the law.

“There are laws in place to make sure our children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world,” said John Edwards, UK information commissioner. “TikTok did not abide by those laws.”

Edwards continued: “TikTok should have known better. TikTok should have done better. Our £12.7m fine reflects the serious impact their failures may have had. They did not do enough to check who was using their platform or take sufficient action to remove the underage children that were using their platform.”

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