The European Union has opened a formal investigation into the popular video-sharing app TikTok. The probe centers on whether TikTok is adequately protecting children on its platform and if it complies with the strict new Digital Services Act (DSA).
Investigators will focus on how TikTok’s algorithms might contribute to addictive behaviors or lead users down harmful “rabbit holes” of content. They will also examine the effectiveness of TikTok’s age verification systems, which are designed to prevent minors from seeing inappropriate material. Additionally, the EU will ensure that TikTok’s advertising practices are transparent and meet DSA requirements.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is designated as a Very Large Online Platform and therefore subject to increased scrutiny under the DSA.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s digital policy chief, underscored the importance of online safety, saying, “TikTok needs to…consider the risks that they pose to their users – young as well as old.”
