TikTok Charged With Breaching EU Tech Rules On Online Safety For Kids
BRUSSELS, July 24 (Reuters) – ByteDance’s social media platform TikTok has been accused of violating EU online content rules for design features that could expose children to predators or cyberbullying, EU regulators said on Friday, putting the company at risk of a hefty fine.
The charges, called preliminary findings under the Digital Services Act, which requires Big Tech to do more to combat illegal and harmful content, are the fourth allegations leveled against TikTok in two years.
The European Commission, which acts as the EU’s technology enforcer, said TikTok accounts fell below DSA security standards.
He said the social media platform allows children to make their accounts public, allowing others to view the content and potentially exposing them to cyberbullying or contact from abusers.
Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images
He said that even private accounts are not safe for children because these accounts can be easily found from the list of ‘followers’ and ‘followers’ of other users, even by people who do not have a TikTok account.
The commission said TikTok should adjust the default settings of minors’ public accounts so that content is visible by default only to TikTok users who are considered minors.
TikTok said it would review the EU findings and work constructively with the regulator.
“Teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 preset privacy and security features, expert-reported, from the moment they set up an account,” the company said.
“Accounts under 18 are private by default, and we’re one of the only platforms where teens can’t use direct messaging or where their content is eligible to appear in the For You feed,” he said.
TikTok can now review the Commission’s documents and respond before the watchdog makes a decision, which could include a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
“The Digital Services Act requires platforms to build in protections for minors in the design of their services and holds them accountable when they fail to do so,” EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. he said. “High levels of protection should not be a choice; it should be the default.”
The company made concessions to postpone the sentences in two previous cases, and the third case is still ongoing.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
