- EU Commission cites TikTok for failing child privacy protection.
- Settings allow viewing of minors’ accounts, risking cyberbullying.
- TikTok must address findings; faces substantial EU fines.
The European Commission on Friday said TikTok had failed to adequately protect children’s privacy, warning that the platform’s settings allowed adults to view the accounts of minors, potentially exposing them to cyberbullying, unwanted contact and online predators.
Announcing its preliminary findings under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said, “Children’s content must never be visible to strangers.”
He alleged that children aged 13 to 15 could “easily” switch their accounts from private to public, while private accounts of users aged 16 and 17 could still be viewed by anyone online, AP reported.
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“If TikTok does not implement the safeguards required under the DSA, minors are exposed to predators, grooming and cyberbullying,” Regnier said, adding, “We do not accept this. Default settings for minors are not a beauty contest under the DSA. They must be effective.”
TikTok Given Chance to Respond
The investigation marks the latest regulatory action by Brussels against major technology companies, following similar crackdowns on firms including Meta and Apple.
TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has been given an opportunity to respond to the Commission’s findings. If the EU is not satisfied with its explanation or remedial measures, it could issue a formal non-compliance decision and impose a fine of up to 6% of the company’s global annual revenue.
In a statement, TikTok said it would review the findings and continue to cooperate with EU regulators.
“Protecting minors online is a goal we share, and we are committed to building on our strong track record of continuous improvement,” the company said.
Millions of Young Users Under Spotlight
According to the Commission, most of TikTok’s 170 million users in the European Union are children. It also estimated that around 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spend between four and five hours a day on the platform.
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The latest findings come months after the EU concluded in February that TikTok had also breached its digital rulebook through allegedly addictive features, including autoplay and infinite scrolling, which regulators said could negatively affect users’ physical and mental health, particularly that of minors.
