BRUSSELS: The video-sharing platform TikTok risks a hefty fine after preliminary findings by the European Union (EU) show that children's accounts do not comply with EU child-safety standards.
TikTok allows children to have public profiles, which means that users without a TikTok account can see their content, the European Commission said in a statement published on July 24.
"This exposure could result in unwanted contact from potential perpetrators and a risk that content can be used for cyberbullying," it said.
The commission also criticised the platform for recommending content posted by 16- and 17-year-olds to other users through its algorithm and for making private accounts easily discoverable.
The commission said that TikTok's account settings violate the strict safety standards for accounts of children under the EU's Digital Services Act "as they expose minors' accounts and content too widely."
TikTok can now submit a written response to the commission's allegations. If the commission ultimately concludes that the platform has breached EU law, it could impose a fine of up to six per cent of the company's global annual turnover.
With more than 200 million users in Europe, TikTok is one of the most popular platforms, particularly among young people.
The commission is demanding that TikTok, which is operated by Chinese technology company ByteDance, limit access to content posted on children's accounts and stop using its algorithm to recommend content uploaded by teenagers.
"Minors deserve a safe experience from the moment they go online," said European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen.
"The Digital Services Act requires platforms to build protections for minors into the design of their services, and holds them to account when they fail to do so," she said.
"A high level of protection should not be an opt-in; it should be the default."
In February, the commission already published allegations that TikTok's design could potentially lead to addictive behaviour.
The latest allegations could fuel the debate over introducing a minimum age for social media use in the EU.
European Commission President von der Leyen previously spoke out in favour of age restrictions on social media.
Several member states have been pushing ahead with national proposals for social media bans for children.
France became the first EU country to introduce a ban on social media for children under the age of 15 when the French parliament passed a law by a large majority on July 21.
The online platform defended its settings, and a spokeswoman said teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 pre-set privacy and security features from the moment the account is set up. It is also one of the few platforms on which younger teenagers cannot use direct messages, TikTok said. – dpa
