European Commission warns TikTok over DSA child safety findings

TL;DR: The European Commission said its preliminary findings in a formal Digital Services Act investigation show TikTok may be failing to meet child privacy, safety and security requirements. The Commission cited public visibility of child accounts, recommendation of content from 16- and 17-year-olds, and visibility of children’s profile pictures even on private accounts. TikTok can review and respond to the findings, and a final breach decision could lead to a fine.

The European Commission said its preliminary findings in a formal investigation show TikTok may be breaching the Digital Services Act, the EU law that sets online platform obligations, over child protection measures. The Commission said child accounts can still be viewed publicly, including by people who do not use TikTok.

The European Commission said TikTok’s handling of content from 16- and 17-year-olds creates another risk because that content can be recommended to other users. The Commission said this can increase the risk of unwanted contact or cyberbullying.

The European Commission also said children’s profile pictures can be viewed even when accounts are set to private mode, and that discovery can remain possible through other users’ contacts or by non-users of TikTok. The Commission said the Digital Services Act requires platforms used by children to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security, and that TikTok may not be meeting that standard.

TikTok has been invited to review and respond to the preliminary findings, and the European Commission said the current view does not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation. The Commission said that if TikTok is ultimately found in breach, it may issue a non-compliance decision that can trigger a fine. UK regulator Ofcom is also investigating TikTok’s child protection measures, and the European Commission previously warned TikTok over what it called potentially addictive design features in the same investigation.

Related questions

• What child protection issues did the European Commission identify in TikTok’s settings?
• What does the Digital Services Act require from platforms used by children?
• What happens if the European Commission finds TikTok in breach of the DSA?
• What other regulators are investigating TikTok’s child safety measures?