Italy fines TikTok €10 million
The Italian Competition Authority recently imposed a significant fine of €10 million on three entities within the ByteDance Ltd group, specifically targeting TikTok Technology Limited (Ireland), TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited (UK), and TikTok Italy Srl (Italy).
This action was taken due to the companies’ failure to adequately monitor and control content on their platform, particularly content that could potentially endanger the safety of minors and vulnerable users. The investigation highlighted TikTok’s role in spreading harmful challenges, such as the “French scar” challenge, which poses risks to the psycho-physical well-being of its users.
Further scrutiny revealed that TikTok did not employ sufficient measures to halt the spread of such hazardous content, thereby not adhering to its own Guidelines. These Guidelines were supposed to reassure users of the platform’s safety. However, TikTok’s application of these rules did not consider the unique vulnerabilities of adolescents, such as their difficulty in differentiating between reality and fiction or their propensity to mimic group behaviors, thus failing to provide a genuinely safe environment.
Moreover, the platform’s content recommendation system, which is driven by algorithmic profiling of users, was found to be a contributing factor to the problem. This system, which curates content for the ‘For You’ and ‘Followed’ sections, aims to increase user interaction and time spent on the platform, ultimately boosting advertising revenue. However, this approach results in undue influence over users, encouraging them to increasingly engage with the platform and exposing them to potentially harmful content.
This case underscores the need for digital platforms to take more rigorous actions in content monitoring and user protection, especially for minors and vulnerable individuals. It also highlights the ongoing challenges in balancing algorithmic content recommendations with user safety, a critical issue for regulatory bodies focusing on digital rights and online safety.
