EU Charges TikTok Over Child Safety Concerns

The European Commission has accused TikTok of breaching the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), alleging that the platform’s design does not provide sufficient protection for children online. Regulators said some account settings could expose minors to cyberbullying, unwanted contact, and online predators, potentially leaving the company facing a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.

According to the Commission, TikTok allows children to create public accounts and makes it possible for users to discover minors through followers and following lists, even when accounts are private. EU officials said stronger privacy protections for children should be enabled by default rather than requiring users to change settings manually.

TikTok said it would review the findings and continue cooperating with regulators. The company stated that accounts belonging to users under 18 are private by default and include more than 50 built-in safety and privacy features, including restrictions on direct messaging for younger teens. TikTok will now have the opportunity to respond before the EU reaches a final decision.

Pic courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright