The European Commission has accused TikTok of failing to protect the privacy of accounts belonging to minors, as they are visible to the public by default. This could result in a fine of up to six percent of TikTok’s annual revenue.
The commission sent TikTok its preliminary findings, claiming that the social media platform’s policy for minors’ accounts doesn’t meet the safety standards required under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Concerns Over Minors’ Safety
In particular, the commission said that minors can set their accounts to public, allowing anyone on TikTok to see their content. The EC added that TikTok’s current algorithm allows for content from accounts belonging to users between 16 and 17 years old to be recommended through its For You feed.
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According to the EC, minors could then encounter unwanted contact from potential perpetrators, cyberbullying, or predatory behavior. The commission also said that platforms accessible to minors must ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security on their service, under the Digital Services Act.
TikTok’s current settings fail to meet this standard, as they expose minors’ accounts and content too widely. To remedy this, the EC recommended TikTok adjust the default settings of accounts belonging to minors to only be visible to friends.
Recommendations and Potential Fine
The commission advised TikTok to stop recommending content from minor accounts in its For You feed. TikTok will be able to reply to the findings, but the commission may hit the social media platform with a fine of up to six percent of its gross annual revenue for non-compliance.
The EC has brought up non-compliance actions against TikTok before. Earlier this year, TikTok was accused of employing addictive design features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications.
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Outside the European Union, one of the UK’s regulatory authorities, Ofcom, said TikTok was not effective enough at preventing harmful content from reaching children.
TikTok will have the opportunity to respond to the EC’s findings and implement changes to its policies and practices. The company must address the concerns raised by the commission and ensure that its platform is a safe and secure environment for all users, including minors.
The potential fine serves as a reminder of the importance of compliance with regulations like the Digital Services Act. As the social media setting continues to evolve, companies must prioritize user safety and adhere to regulatory requirements to avoid similar actions in the future.
