Upon concluding its investigation, the EC could require TikTok to take interim measures to fix any issues that are flagged. The probe could require interviews with TikTok staff or inspections of TikTok's offices. Likely over the coming months, the EC will request more information from TikTok, picking apart its DSA transparency report. 'We are launching this formal infringement proceeding today to ensure that proportionate action is taken to protect the physical and emotional well-being of young Europeans.' 'As a platform that reaches millions of children and teenagers, TikTok must fully comply with the DSA and has a particular role to play in the protection of minors online,' Breton said. Both are being scrutinized after submitting transparency reports in September that the EC said failed to satisfy the DSA's strict standards on predictable things like not providing enough advertising transparency or data access for researchers.īut while X is additionally being investigated over alleged dark patterns and disinformation-following accusations last October that X wasn't stopping the spread of Israel/Hamas disinformation-it's TikTok's young user base that appears to be the focus of the EC's probe into its platform. This makes TikTok the second platform investigated for possible DSA breaches after X (aka Twitter) came under fire last December.

'We must spare no effort to protect our children,' Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, said in the press release, reiterating that the 'protection of minors is a top enforcement priority for the DSA.'

The allegations came Monday when the EC announced a formal investigation into how TikTok may be breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA) 'in areas linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content.' The European Commission (EC) is concerned that TikTok isn't doing enough to protect kids, alleging that the short-video app may be sending kids down rabbit holes of harmful content while making it easy for kids to pretend to be adults and avoid the protective content filters that do exist. Matt Cardy / Contributor | Getty Images Europe reader comments 108

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