The European Union has officially announced a formal investigation into TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). This probe is centered around concerns related to child safety, risk management, and other areas of interest.
Key Takeaway
The European Union has initiated a formal investigation into TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act, citing concerns related to child safety, risk management, and other areas of interest.
Investigation Areas
- Protection of minors
- Advertising transparency
- Data access for researchers
- Risk management of addictive design and harmful content
The DSA, which serves as the bloc’s online governance and content moderation rulebook, has recently come into effect for larger platforms like TikTok. The investigation will focus on whether TikTok has met the extra requirements imposed on these platforms, such as algorithmic transparency and systemic risk.
Potential Penalties
If TikTok is found to have breached the DSA, penalties could amount to up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The investigation follows months of information gathering by the Commission, including requests for information from TikTok on child protection and disinformation risks.
Concerns and Response
The Commission is particularly concerned about TikTok’s approach to content governance and safety, especially in relation to minors. TikTok has stated that it will continue to work with experts and the industry to ensure the safety of young users on its platform.
Focus of the Probe
The investigation will assess TikTok’s compliance with DSA obligations in areas such as systemic risks, design effects, and measures for protecting minors. It will also scrutinize TikTok’s transparency in providing researchers with access to platform data and its adherence to advertising regulations.
Regulatory Impact
The decision to open a child protection investigation on TikTok means that Ireland’s media regulator, responsible for overseeing TikTok’s compliance with the rest of the DSA rules, will not be able to intervene in this specific area. The Commission will solely assess TikTok’s measures for ensuring the privacy, safety, and security of minors.
Overall, the EU’s formal probe of TikTok under the DSA reflects its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of online users, particularly minors, and underscores the importance of platform compliance with regulatory requirements.
