US probing allegations TikTok failed to protect children's privacy: Report

TikTok failed to delete videos and personal information about users age 13 and younger as it had agreed to do, according to US agencies.

The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Justice Department are looking into allegations that popular app TikTok failed to live up to a 2019 agreement aimed at protecting children's privacy, according to two people interviewed by the agencies.

A staffer in a Massachusetts tech policy group and another source said they took part in separate conference calls with FTC and Justice Department officials to discuss accusations the China-based short video sharing app had failed to live up to an agreement announced in February 2019.

The Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and others in May asked the FTC look into their allegations TikTok failed to delete videos and personal information about users age 13 and younger as it had agreed to do, among other violations.

Reuters could not determine whether any action would be taken against TikTok by either of the two agencies. A TikTok spokesman said they take "safety seriously for all our users," adding that in the United States they "accommodate users under 13 in a limited app experience that introduces additional safety and privacy protections designed specifically for a younger audience."

Officials from both the FTC, which reached the original consent agreement with TikTok, and Justice Department, which often files court documents for the FTC, met via video with representatives of the groups to discuss the matter, said David Monahan, a campaign manager with the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood...Read More

WHO says maximum one-hour screen time per day for kids under 5: Key points

Infants under 1 year old should not be exposed to electronic screens and that children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not have more than one hour of “sedentary screen time’.

Current Affairs: Young children should not spend more than an hour a day watching television and videos or playing computer games and infants less than one year old should not be exposed to electronic screens at all, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

Limiting, and in some cases eliminating, screen time for children under the age of 5 will result in healthier adults, said WHO, adding that quality sedentary time spent in interactive non-screen-based activities with a caregiver, such as reading, storytelling, singing and puzzles, is very important for child development..

Physically active and good sleep key for kids under 5

The United Nations agency, issuing its first such guidelines, said under-fives should also be physically active and get adequate sleep to help develop good lifelong habits and prevent obesity and other diseases in later life.

Kids between the age of 1 and 3 should spend 3 hours a day doing physical activity

In its guidelines to member states, the WHO said children between one and four years old should spend at least three hours in a variety of physical activities spread throughout the day.

No screen time for children below the age of 1

Infants under one should interact in floor-based play and avoid all screens, it said. Being inactive is fueling a rise in the numbers of obese or overweight people worldwide, the WHO said. Excessive weight can lead to premature death from heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and some forms of cancer…

Govt hikes child care allowance for women with disabilities to Rs 3,000

It shall be payable for a maximum of two eldest surviving children

economy news: The Centre has doubled to Rs 3,000 per month the child care allowance for women with disabilities.

At present, the allowance of Rs 1,500 per month is given to differently-abled female employees for taking care of their newborn child.

"Women with disabilities shall be paid Rs 3,000 per month as special allowance for child care. The allowance shall be payable from the time of the child's birth till the child is two years old," an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

It shall be payable for a maximum of two eldest surviving children, it said.

"The above limit would be automatically raised by 25 per cent every time the Dearness Allowance on the revised pay structure goes up by 50 per cent," said the DoPT order, issued two days ago.The decision to hike the allowance is based on the recommendations of seventh central pay commission. The central government has accepted most of the recommendations of the pay panel.

"The Commission recognises the huge responsibility that these women shoulder while raising their children. Therefore, instead of the factor of 1.5 that we have mostly used for semi-DA indexed allowances, it is recommended that this allowance is raised by a factor of 2 to Rs 3,000 per month," the commission had said in its report.

The DoPT has abolished desk allowance granted to Desk Officers in the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) and other headquarters services at a rate of Rs 900 per month.

The pay commission had also recommended abolishing this allowance as it is virtually non-existent since 2010.

The DoPT has also issued orders for the reimbursement of children education allowance, which will be Rs 2,250 per month.

"The amount fixed for reimbursement of hostel subsidy will be Rs 6,750 per month," it said.

In case both the spouses are government servants, only one of them can avail reimbursement under children education allowance, the order said.

"The above limits would be automatically raised by 25 per cent every time the Dearness Allowance on the revised pay structure goes up by 50 per cent. The allowance will be double for differently-abled children," it said.