The European Union launched an investigation into TikTok for allegedly violating online content rules. It is stated that the social media platform under the umbrella of ByteDance may have failed to protect children and therefore may have to pay a penalty of 6 percent of its global annual income.
Thierry Breton, European Commission’s Commissioner for the Internal Market, stated that the decision was taken after reading TikTok’s risk assessment report and the company’s responses to information requests.
TikTok must comply with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force on February 17. The law requires major online platforms and search engines to do more to combat illegal online content and risks to public safety.
What did TikTok say about the European Union investigation?
A TikTok spokesperson stated that the company is pioneering features and settings that will address the problems the entire industry is grappling with to protect young people and keep those under 13 away from the platform. The statement also stated that the company will provide the necessary details to the European Union within the scope of the investigation.
As part of the investigation, the European Union will examine TikTok’s system design in general and examine algorithmic systems that may trigger behavioral addictions.