Brazil's data protection authority fined ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, 153.7 million reais, or about $29.8 million, for unlawfully processing the personal data of teenagers.

The National Data Protection Authority, known as ANPD, published the decision in the official gazette on Tuesday. The penalty stems from violations of the General Data Protection Law, or LGPD, involving users aged 13 to 18.

ANPD determined that ByteDance processed teenagers' data without a valid legal basis in both the platform's unregistered feed and registered feed features. The agency found the company failed to implement adequate safeguards to prevent improper data collection from minors.

This marks the largest fine issued by ANPD since its creation. ByteDance must delete the personal data of affected teenagers whose legal representation is not regularized within 60 business days. The company is also required to notify third parties who received the data and submit a compliance report.

Daily fines of approximately 137,000 reais could apply for noncompliance. ByteDance has the option to appeal the decision to the agency's board within 10 business days.

The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In related actions, ANPD has increased oversight of platforms regarding minors, including a recent order to Discord to suspend certain livestreaming features.

ByteDance has agreed to a compliance plan that includes automatically applying stricter privacy settings for users under 16 and enhancing parental controls.

The case reflects growing international efforts to regulate how social media platforms handle data and content for children and teenagers.