EU accuses TikTok of failing to protect minors under Digital Services Act
The European Commission has warned that non-compliance with new safety standards could result in fines of up to six percent of the platform’s annual gross revenue.
The European Commission has issued preliminary findings accusing TikTok of failing to meet the safety standards required for minors under the Digital Services Act. The regulator states that the social media platform’s current policies allow minors’ accounts to remain publicly visible by default, a configuration the Commission argues exposes young users to unwanted contact, cyberbullying, and predatory behaviour.
According to the Commission’s assessment, TikTok’s algorithm currently recommends content from users aged 16 to 17 through its “For You” feed. This mechanism, combined with public default settings, allows anyone on the platform to view the content of minor accounts. The Commission emphasised that under the Digital Services Act, platforms accessible to minors must ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security, standards it claims TikTok’s current settings fail to meet.
To address these deficiencies, the European Commission has recommended that TikTok change the default settings for minor accounts to private, restricting visibility to friends only. Additionally, the regulator advised the platform to halt content recommendations from minor accounts within its algorithmic feeds. These measures are intended to mitigate the risks associated with the current exposure of young users’ data and content.
The potential consequences for non-compliance are significant. If TikTok fails to adhere to the Commission’s recommendations, it could face fines of up to six percent of its annual gross revenue. The platform has been sent these preliminary findings and retains the opportunity to reply before a final decision is made by the regulator.
This development follows earlier scrutiny of the platform’s design practices. Earlier this year, the European Commission accused TikTok of employing “adductive design” features, including infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications. Concurrently, the UK’s regulatory authority, Ofcom, has stated that TikTok was not effective enough in preventing harmful content from reaching children, highlighting a broader regulatory concern across jurisdictions.
