Key facts
- TikTok faces a potential new penalty from EU regulators under the Digital Services Act.
- Regulators cited concerns over the platform's protection of minors from strangers, cyberbullying, and potential predators.
- Preliminary findings indicate that TikTok's account settings allow minors to make their profiles public.
- This could expose their videos to unregistered users and potentially harmful individuals.
TikTok is facing a potential new penalty from European Union regulators due to concerns over its handling of children's safety. The European Commission announced preliminary findings under the bloc's Digital Services Act, indicating that the platform may not adequately protect minors from strangers, cyberbullying, and potential predators.
According to the Commission's findings, TikTok's account settings can allow minors to make their profiles public. This could potentially expose their videos to a wide audience, including individuals who have not registered for the platform. Such a situation raises concerns about the safety and privacy of young users.
The ByteDance-owned video platform could face further fines if these preliminary findings are confirmed. The Digital Services Act is a sweeping piece of legislation designed to regulate online content and platforms operating within the EU.