TikTok Under EU Investigation for Possible Violations of New Digital Regulations

The European Union is looking into TikTok to see if the app has broken the EU's tough new rules meant to make social media safer and protect people using the internet.

Ad

The EU's main branch, the European Commission, said it's starting a formal investigation to see if TikTok has gone against the Digital Services Act (DSA), which became law last year.

The DSA has a bunch of rules aimed at keeping people safe online. It includes things like making it easier to report bad or illegal stuff like hate speech, giving users options besides just algorithms, and stopping ads aimed at kids.

Advertisement

The commission is particularly interested in whether TikTok is doing enough to deal with "systemic risks" linked to how the app works, like features that could make people addicted. They're worried that things like age checks to stop kids from seeing inappropriate content might not be good enough.

Thierry Breton, a bigwig in the EU, emphasized how important it is to protect young people online, especially since TikTok is used by so many kids. He said the commission wants to make sure TikTok takes the right steps to keep young Europeans safe.

TikTok fired back, saying they've introduced lots of safety features to protect teens and keep kids under 13 off the platform. They're keen to work with experts and the industry to make sure TikTok is a safe space, and they're ready to explain everything to the EU.

The EU isn't just looking at TikTok's measures to protect young users and be clear about ads. They're also checking how TikTok handles privacy for kids and if they're sharing data with researchers.

The EU has singled out around 20 big online platforms, including TikTok, for close scrutiny under the DSA. If these platforms don't follow the rules, they could face big fines. The EU is already looking into Elon Musk's X (used to be called Twitter) for stuff like not doing enough to stop illegal content from spreading.

Also Read: EU Set to Impose Record €500 Million Fine on Apple Over App Store Practices