EU Launches Investigation into TikTok Over Child Safety Concerns

TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by China’s ByteDance, is under scrutiny by the European Union (EU) over concerns about its handling of disturbing content targeting children. The EU is set to investigate whether TikTok has complied with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a comprehensive regulation that mandates content moderation, user privacy protection, and mitigation of public risks for significant tech companies operating in the region.

TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before a Senate panel last month.REUTERS

Sources familiar with the matter have disclosed that the European Commission’s investigation will focus on assessing TikTok’s recent efforts to align with the DSA’s content moderation policies. If found to be in violation, TikTok could face significant fines of up to 6% of its annual revenue and potential expulsion from the EU market for repeated breaches.

EU regulators will assess whether TikTok is in compliance with a key law.REUTERS

Despite these looming consequences, TikTok has stated that it has not yet received formal notification from the European Commission regarding the impending investigation. The company asserts that it maintains regular communication with EU regulators, and discussions are currently ongoing. TikTok and the European Union have been approached for comment by The Post.

TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew is pictured.

This development adds to TikTok’s growing regulatory challenges, which has faced criticism from US lawmakers for its perceived failure to effectively address concerning content, particularly content believed to contribute to mental health issues among young users.
Recent studies conducted by UK researchers have suggested that TikTok’s algorithm may perpetuate “hateful ideologies and misogynistic tropes” in school environments by promoting harmful content related to women. TikTok CEO Shou Chew has faced questioning on this matter during congressional hearings, where concerns over the platform’s handling of minors and its parent company’s ties to the Chinese government have been raised.

TikTok has also faced criticism for allowing the dissemination of controversial content, including “terrorist propaganda,” prompting calls for its ban in the US by Republican lawmakers. This heightened scrutiny follows incidents where TikTok influencers shared content related to Osama bin Laden and controversial videos regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine, raising concerns about the platform’s content moderation policies.

In light of these developments, the EU’s investigation into TikTok highlights the increasing global scrutiny of social media platforms and their responsibilities in ensuring user safety and content integrity.
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Sola Adeniji

News Reporter, Freelancer, and content creator

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