The European Union has initiated an investigation into ByteDance’s TikTok to determine whether the social media platform violated online content regulations aimed at safeguarding children and ensuring transparent advertising, announced EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Monday.
Breton stated, “Today we open an investigation into TikTok over a suspected breach of transparency & obligations to protect minors: addictive design & screen time limits, rabbit hole effect, age verification, default privacy settings.”
The probe, prompted by concerns regarding TikTok’s risk assessment report and responses to information requests, is under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates enhanced measures to address illegal online content and threats to public security.
Under the DSA, very large online platforms like TikTok are required to take substantial actions to combat illicit online content. If found guilty of breaching DSA regulations, ByteDance could face fines of up to 6% of its global turnover.
TikTok affirmed its commitment to collaborating with experts and the industry to ensure the safety of young users on its platform. A TikTok spokesperson stated, “TikTok has pioneered features and settings to protect teens and keep under 13s off the platform, issues the whole industry is grappling with.”
The investigation will scrutinise TikTok’s system design, including algorithmic structures that may promote addictive behaviours and create ‘rabbit hole effects.’ Additionally, it will assess whether TikTok has implemented adequate measures to uphold privacy, safety, and security standards for minors.
Moreover, the European Commission aims to evaluate TikTok’s transparency regarding platform advertisements, enabling researchers to assess potential online risks.
This inquiry marks the second investigation under the DSA, following a similar probe into Elon Musk’s social media platform X in December last year.
