EU OPENS FORMAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST TIKTOK FOR VIOLATING THE DIGITAL SERVICES ACT

Tue 20 February 2024:

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against Chinese social media platform TikTok after preliminary investigation on breaching the bloc’s digital services act.

According to a commission statement, TikTok may have breach the act “in areas linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content.”

Following the formal opening of proceedings, the commission will continue to collect evidence to take further enforcement steps, it said.

Commissioner Thierry Breton said on X on Monday: “Today we open an investigation into TikTok over suspected breach of transparency & obligations to protect minors. Addictive design & screen time limits Rabbit hole effect Age verification Default privacy settings.”

He added that the commission is enforcing the act to make the internet safer for minors.

The probe comes after the commission conducted a preliminary investigation last September based on a risk assessment report sent by TikTok and replies by the company to a commission request for information.

It will now gather more evidence, but did not mention how long the investigation will take. If DSA rules have been breached, the platform could face fines to the value of up to 6% of its global turnover.

A spokesperson for TikTok told Euronews in response that the company will “continue to work with experts and industry to keep young people on TikTok safe.”

“We look forward to now having the opportunity to explain this work in detail to the commission,” the spokesperson added.

TikTok is the second company that faces an investigation under the DSA.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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