The European Commission on Monday gave TikTok 24 hours to provide a risk assessment report surrounding a new feature that provides rewards for watching content and other actions on the app. File Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA-EFE
The European Commission said on Monday officially opened an investigation into the Chinese-owned video app TikTok over its TikTok Lite version.
The commission said that TikTok must by Tuesday submit a risk assessment report outlining its research on the risks that the program may have including negative effects on mental healths, particularly among minors and “especially as a result of the new feature stimulating addictive behavior,” as well as measures TikTok has taken to address those risks. Advertisement
“Given TikTok’s inability to submit the risk assessment which should have been carried out prior to launching TikTok Lite, the commission suspects a prima facie infringement of the DSA and considers that there are risk of serious damage for the mental health of users,” the commission said in a statement.
“The commission has therefore also communicated to TikTok its intention to impose interim measures consisting in the suspension of TikTok Lite rewards program in the EU pending the assessment of its safety.”
With TikTok Lite’s rewards program, which has already launched in France and Spain, users 18 and older can earn points by liking content on the app, along with watching videos, inviting friends to join and following creators. Users can then trade in those points for rewards from Amazon, gift cards, etc. Advertisement
The commission said it was concerned the program “has been launched without prior diligent assessment of the risks it entails, in particular those related to the addictive effect of the platforms, and without taking effective risk mitigating measures.”
It also warned it will impose fines of up to 1%of TikTok’s annual income or worldwide turnover and additional penalties of up to 5% of it’s average daily income or worldwide annual turnover if the company fails to comply with the request for information by the deadline.
