EU Accuses TikTok of Child Safety Lapses, Threatens Massive Fine

European Union regulators have accused TikTok of violating its online content rules, citing concerns over child safety and potential exposure to cyberbullying and harassment.

The EU's preliminary findings, based on the Digital Services Act (DSA), suggest that TikTok's default settings fail to meet legal safety standards. Regulators pointed out that the platform allows minors to set their accounts to public, making their content visible to anyone. Even with private accounts, users can still be found through the follower lists of others.

This marks the fourth time TikTok has faced accusations from the EU in two years. If found in violation, the company could face substantial fines, potentially reaching up to 6% of its global annual revenue. The EU is emphasizing that high-standard child protection measures should be standard settings, not optional choices for underage users.

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TikTok allows minors to set their accounts to public, making their content visible to anyone; even with private accounts, others can still be searched through the follower lists of others.

In response, TikTok stated it would review the EU's investigation report and cooperate with regulators. The company highlighted that accounts for users under 18 are set to private by default and include over 50 privacy and safety settings. Additionally, underage users cannot use direct messaging features or access the "For You" page.

Henna Virkkunen, the EU's lead on technology affairs, stressed that platforms must implement robust child protection measures as default settings. The EU intends to strictly enforce platform responsibilities under the Digital Services Act.

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Platforms should make high-standard child protection measures 'fixed settings,' not something underage users can choose themselves.