According to what was claimed by European Commission il social network TikTok is not doing enough to protect children.
Specifically, the EC accuses the platform of not doing enough for cases of falsification of the age of memberseasily offering potentially harmful content to younger users.
The accusation was made yesterday, at which time a new formal investigation was presented regarding TikTok’s behavior by virtue of the application of the Digital Services Act (DSA). According to what was stated by Thierry BretonEuropean Commissioner for Internal Market, the EU should maximize its efforts to protect children.
A similar proceeding was initiated last December against Xwith the platform of Elon Musk which failed to meet the rigorous requirements of the DSA. In the case of the service once known as Twitter, the EC’s investigation was triggered by the little advertising transparencylo poor access to data for researchers and potential cases of disinformation.
TikTok under accusation: users aged between 13 and 17 are most at risk
Breton underlined how TikTok is a platform that reaches millions of children and teenagers. Precisely this target makes it a clear objective of the DSA. The EC is starting a formal infringement procedurein the hope that the social network will find adequate measures in this regard, including through provisional measures.
The risk for the Chinese platform is that of incurring a heavy fine. In this sense, we are talking about a sum that could even reach 6% of its turnover global annual. However, there is also another factor that makes TikTok’s position difficult.
Second Thomas Regnierpress officer of the EC, the platform uses an algorithm that risks “Stimulate addictive behaviors“. A worrying factor, above all because, he said, the service is unable to adequately assess the risk of all this for children in the age group included between 13 and 17 years oldwho pretend to be adults when they sign up.
All this, translated into practical terms, could be resolved with new privacy settings which, most likely, will be introduced on the platform within a short time.