Trends
EU opens formal investigation into TikTok
The European Commission investigates TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act for minor protection and advertising transparency.
Headline
The European Commission investigates TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act for minor protection and advertising transparency.
Context
On February 19th, the official website of the European Commission announced that it has initiated formal legal proceedings to investigate TikTok ‘s compliance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) regarding minor protection, advertising transparency, research data access, addiction design, and harmful content risk management. The European Commission stated that the decision to launch the formal procedure was based on a preliminary analysis of TikTok’s risk assessment report sent in September 2023 and its responses to information requests.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Market, indicated that he made this decision after analysing the risk assessment report of the short video application and its responses to information requests. Also read: TikTok’s drastic change: A second round of share buybacks The European Commission emphasised that it will prioritise a thorough investigation into TikTok and that the initiation of the formal procedure does not prejudge its outcome. The DSA does not set a statutory deadline for concluding formal procedures, and the duration of the in-depth investigation depends on several factors, including the complexity of the case, the degree of cooperation between relevant companies and the European Commission, and the exercise of the right to defense. A TikTok spokesperson responded publicly, stating that they have introduced features and settings to protect teenagers and do not allow children under 13 to use the platform. TikTok mentioned in a company statement obtained by the financial news outlet First Financial that “this is a problem that the entire industry is working hard to solve” and will continue to cooperate with experts and the industry to ensure the safety of teenagers on TikTok, looking forward to the opportunity to explain this work in detail to the Commission. If TikTok is found to violate DSA rules, its owner, ByteDance , could face fines of up to 6% of its global turnover. In response to the formal investigation launched by the European Union, ByteDance declined to comment to First Financial reporters, stating that TikTok’s response should be considered.
Key Points
- The European Commission has launched formal legal proceedings to investigate TikTok’s compliance with the EU Digital Services Act regarding various aspects including minor protection, advertising transparency, and harmful content risk management.
- The decision was based on a preliminary analysis of TikTok’s risk assessment report and its responses to information requests, with the European Commissioner for Internal Market emphasising the need for a thorough investigation.
- If TikTok is found to violate DSA rules, its owner, ByteDance, could face fines up to 6% of its global turnover, with the investigation focusing on areas such as systemic risk evaluation, privacy protection for minors, and transparency measures on the platform.
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
