TikTok EU child safety review warns protections must be default
The European Commission says TikTok should strengthen default privacy protections for minors under the Digital Services Act.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
The European Commission said TikTok EU child safety settings may fall short of the bloc’s Digital Services Act, issuing preliminary findings that press the platform to make stronger protections the default for minors. The findings matter because a confirmed breach could expose TikTok to fines tied to its worldwide revenue.
In a July 24 announcement, the Commission said TikTok should change default settings for minors’ accounts that are marked public. The Commission said posts from those accounts should be visible only to TikTok users the teen has chosen to share with, and should not be promoted to other users through the For You feed.
The Commission also raised concerns about discoverability. According to the Commission’s findings, private accounts can still be found through other users’ following lists, while profile photos are visible to anyone.
What did the EU tell TikTok to change?
The Commission’s position is that protections for children should be built into TikTok’s design rather than left for young users to turn on. That means stricter default visibility and recommendation settings for accounts used by minors, according to the Commission.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s technology chief, said in the Commission’s announcement that minors should have a safer experience as soon as they go online. “A high level of protection should not be an opt-in; it should be the default,” Virkkunen said.
The Digital Services Act is the European Union’s rulebook for large online platforms and other digital services. Among other duties, it requires platforms to assess and reduce risks, including risks to children using their services, according to the Commission.
The findings are preliminary, which means the Commission has not yet issued a final non-compliance decision. If TikTok does not address the concerns, the Commission said the company could face penalties of up to 6 percent of its global annual revenue under the DSA.
The Commission’s announcement adds to regulatory pressure on TikTok over child safety in Europe. The Verge reported that UK communications regulator Ofcom opened a similar child safety investigation into TikTok last week, with updates expected in October.
TikTok now faces a choice over whether to change the settings identified by the Commission before the process reaches a final decision. The Commission framed the issue as one of default design, saying platforms covered by the DSA must build protections for minors into their services rather than rely on children to find and enable them.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.