EU charges TikTok over child safety lapses under Digital Services Act

MUMBAI: TikTok’s latest challenge isn’t going viral, it’s heading straight into the regulator’s feed. The European Commission has issued fresh preliminary charges against the ByteDance-owned social media platform, alleging that it has failed to adequately protect children under the Digital Services Act (DSA), potentially exposing the company to fines of up to 6 per cent of its global annual turnover.

According to a Reuters report, the Commission’s preliminary assessment found that TikTok’s account settings for minors fall short of the safety standards required under the DSA. The regulator said children can choose to make their accounts public, allowing anyone to view their content and increasing the risks of cyberbullying and unwanted contact from potential abusers.

The Commission also flagged concerns that even when a child’s account is set to private, it can still be discovered through the “following” and “followers” lists of other users, including by individuals who do not have a TikTok account. It argued that minors’ public accounts should instead be configured so their content is visible only to TikTok users they have explicitly approved.

TikTok said it would carefully review the Commission’s preliminary findings and continue engaging with regulators before a final decision is taken.

The company defended its existing safeguards, stating that teenage accounts include more than 50 built-in privacy and safety protections. It added that accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 are private by default, while younger teenagers cannot use direct messaging or have their content recommended through the platform’s “For You” feed.

TikTok will now have the opportunity to examine the Commission’s findings and submit a formal response before the regulator reaches a final decision. If the EU confirms its preliminary conclusions, the platform could face a financial penalty of up to 6 per cent of its worldwide annual revenue.

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said the Digital Services Act requires online platforms to build child safety protections directly into the design of their services rather than treating them as optional features that users must activate themselves.

The latest action marks the fourth preliminary allegation brought against TikTok under the DSA in the past two years. The company has previously offered concessions in two separate investigations, while another probe remains ongoing.

The move also reflects the European Union’s broader push to tighten oversight of how major digital platforms protect children online. With additional measures on safeguarding minors expected later this year, the regulatory spotlight on social media companies shows little sign of dimming.