European Union regulators on Monday fined TikTok for potentially addictive features in a version of the app called TikTok Lite that was released to run more smoothly on slow wireless networks. he threatened.
The EU investigation raises TikTok's regulatory challenges further as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would force the app's owner, Chinese internet company ByteDance, to sell or ban TikTok. I'm making it a thing. The company has come under increasing pressure over its relationship with China, its data collection practices and its potential negative impact on children.
In Europe, authorities say TikTok is legally required to do so before introducing features that allow users to earn rewards, such as gift cards, for watching videos, liking content, or following certain creators. The company said it had not carried out a risk assessment. They said these features provide financial incentives to spend more time on apps, creating a risk of addiction and mental health problems, especially for children.
The measures announced on Monday are the EU's second investigation into TikTok, with one focusing on its lack of effective age verification protections and lack of addictive design features.
In the United States, lawmakers last week approved a bill that would force ByteDance to sell social media apps. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill, which is bundled with a series of aid bills, this week. The White House and members of Congress say TikTok poses a national security risk because the Chinese government could use the app to access Americans' data or run disinformation campaigns. expressing concern.
TikTok Lite is best known in countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia, but it was also recently introduced in Spain and France. The app uses less memory to work on phones that are tuned for slower wireless networks.
Under the Digital Services Act, an EU law passed in 2022 to regulate social media platforms, large companies such as TikTok will be required to submit risk assessments before introducing major changes to their products and services. be. Officials said TikTok had not submitted the required information before introducing the perks feature, even after regulators sent a request last week. Regulators said they could force TikTok to remove the services from its services for users in the EU as early as Thursday.
According to TikTok, the Lite app is only being tested in France and Spain, and is only available to adults whose age has been verified by submitting a selfie using photo ID or credit card verification. That's what it means. Tasks related to viewing video content are limited to 1 hour per day.
TikTok said in a statement that it was “disappointed by this decision.” “We will continue to consult with the committee,” he said.
TikTok must submit a risk assessment report to the European Commission, the 27-nation executive branch, by Tuesday and other requested information by May 3. If they fail to do so, the regulator said it could impose a fine of up to 1% of TikTok's annual revenue, plus an additional “periodic fine” of up to 5% of TikTok's average daily revenue.