Brussels: The European Commission on Friday said it found TikTok had not adequately protected children’s privacy rights on its platform by allowing adults to view the accounts of minors. The action exposed children to cyberbullying, unwanted contact and predatory behaviour, the commission said.
The EU said minors’ accounts should only be visible to those they have given permission. Children aged 13 and over can use TikTok.
“A high level of protection should not be an opt-in; it should be the default,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said.
TikTok insisted it was committed to protecting minors online. The investigation comes on the heels of back-to-back crackdowns on Big Tech by Brussels, which has led the world in regulating tech behemoths including Meta and Apple.
If unsatisfied with the Chinese firm’s response, the commission could issue a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company’s total annual revenue.
The EU found during the investigation that minors can make their account public, meaning anyone with or without a TikTok account can see their content.
Even when children choose to make their accounts private, they can be “easily found” through other users’ “following” and “followers” lists.
“TikTok’s settings continue to expose them to risks — including unwanted contact, cyberbullying, or predatory behaviour,” the EU warned.
The 27-nation European Union found in February that TikTok had breached another aspect of its digital rule book with an “addictive design” of features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling that could harm the physical and mental health of users and minors especially.
The EU is also preparing to roll out an age verification app across the bloc to make sure platforms check the ages of users before accessing the platforms.
