EU Investigates TikTok Lite Digital Services Act Compliance
The European Commission has demanded ByteDance’s TikTok to carry out a risk assessment of its newly launched TikTok Lite app. This directive is part of a broader scrutiny under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates that digital platforms actively manage and mitigate illegal and harmful content. The focus of this urgency stems from concerns about TikTok Lite’s potential effects on children and its implications for users’ mental health, specifically regarding addictive behaviors.
TikTok Lite, targeted at users aged 18 and over, incorporates a “Task and Reward Lite” program that incentivizes users with points for activities like watching videos and engaging with content. These points can be redeemed for rewards ranging from Amazon vouchers to PayPal gift cards and TikTok’s own currency. The European Commission’s concern is that such reward systems may promote addictive behavior, particularly among minors, despite the app’s age restriction.
The EU industry chief Thierry Breton highlighted the importance of the inquiry, stating on the X social platform that the Commission will not hesitate to protect minors under the DSA. This statement underscores the EU’s commitment to stringent enforcement of its digital regulations, aiming to ensure that digital platforms do not compromise user safety and well-being.
In response to the Commission’s demands, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed ongoing communications and expressed the company’s intent to comply with the information request by the stipulated deadline. The outcomes of this compliance could set precedents for how digital services are regulated concerning user engagement and reward schemes under the DSA.
