EU Flags TikTok Over Child Safety Concerns Under DSA
The EU has issued preliminary findings accusing TikTok of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) over default settings that expose minors to safety risks.
SociapaHQ
The European Commission has launched a preliminary investigation into TikTok for allegedly not protecting minors on its platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which could result in fines of up to 6% of the company’s global annual turnover.
The Commission’s preliminary assessment shows that TikTok’s settings for minors’ accounts do not provide the level of safety required by the DSA. The platform allows teenage users to have public profiles so their content can be viewed by anyone on the internet, including people who are not registered on TikTok, regulators said.
The Commission said such environments could increase the risk of cyber-bullying, unwanted contact and predatory behaviour involving minors. It also pointed out that even the private accounts of minors can be found through follower lists, and argued that minors’ public accounts should only be viewable by approved connections by default.
Also Read: Meta Launches Global Campaign to Position AI as a Tool for Human Connection
TikTok Responds:
In response to the findings, TikTok said it would carefully review the Commission’s preliminary assessment and continue to engage with European regulators.
The company said it has more than 50 built-in safety features for users under the age of 18. It said accounts of minors would be private by default and younger teens would be prevented from direct messaging and not appear in algorithmic recommendations.
It was the fourth regulatory action against TikTok under the EU’s Digital Services Act in the past two years, and comes amid heightened scrutiny of how big online platforms protect younger users.
Also Read: POND'S Revives ‘Googly Woogly Wooksh’ for Super Light Gel Campaign
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said on the matter: “The DSA requires online platforms to embed protections for minors directly into their products by default, not as optional settings.
The Commission's findings are preliminary and TikTok will be given the chance to respond before the regulator makes a final decision. Should the allegations be proven true, the company could be hit with hefty fines under the DSA.
