BRUSSELS, Germany – The European Commission said Friday that TikTok failed to adequately protect the privacy of minors, issuing preliminary findings that the platform’s default account settings could expose children to cyberbullying, unwanted contact, and online predators.
The findings are part of an ongoing investigation under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the bloc’s comprehensive law governing online platforms. TikTok now has an opportunity to respond before regulators decide whether the company violated the law. A formal finding of non-compliance could result in a fine of up to 6% of ByteDance’s global annual revenue.
EU Raises Concerns Over Default Privacy Settings
The European Commission said its investigation found that TikTok’s account settings did not provide sufficient privacy protections for younger users.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said children’s content should not be accessible to strangers and warned that inadequate safeguards increase the risk of grooming, cyberbullying, and other forms of online exploitation.
According to the Commission, users between the ages of 13 and 15 can easily change their accounts from private to public. Regulators also said private accounts belonging to users aged 16 and 17 remain discoverable by anyone online.
“We do not accept this,” Regnier said. “Putting default settings for minors is not a beauty contest under the DSA. It must be effective.”
The Commission said the findings remain preliminary and that TikTok will have an opportunity to respond before any final decision is made.
TikTok Says It Will Cooperate With Regulators
TikTok said it would carefully review the Commission’s findings and continue working with European regulators.
“Protecting minors online is a goal we share, and we are committed to building on our strong track record of continuous improvement,” the company said in a statement.
After reviewing TikTok’s response, the Commission will determine whether additional enforcement measures are necessary. If it concludes the company violated the Digital Services Act, regulators could impose financial penalties and require corrective actions.
Digital Services Act Increases Scrutiny of Major Platforms
The investigation is one of several enforcement actions the European Commission has launched against major technology companies under the Digital Services Act.
The Commission estimates that TikTok has about 170 million users across the European Union and said a significant share of the platform’s audience consists of children and teenagers. It also cited data indicating that around 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spend between four and five hours each day using the platform.
Earlier this year, the Commission issued separate preliminary findings alleging that TikTok’s use of autoplay and infinite scrolling may constitute an “addictive design” that could negatively affect users’ physical and mental well-being, particularly minors.
Friday’s announcement expands the European Union’s ongoing examination of how large online platforms protect children and comply with the Digital Services Act as regulators continue enforcing the bloc’s digital safety rules.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
