EU Slams TikTok for Exposing Young Users' Data

The European Commission has issued preliminary findings accusing TikTok of violating the Digital Services Act by failing to adequately protect the privacy of minors. The commission highlighted that accounts belonging to users under 18 are public by default, exposing their content to anyone on the platform.

Further concerns were raised regarding TikTok's algorithm, which may recommend content from users aged 16 and 17 through its 'For You' feed. This practice could expose minors to cyberbullying or predatory behavior, contrary to the DSA's mandate for high privacy and safety standards for accounts accessible to minors.

TikTok has the opportunity to respond to these findings. However, non-compliance could lead to a substantial financial penalty, with the commission able to impose a fine equivalent to up to six percent of the social media platform's gross annual revenue. Earlier this year, TikTok faced similar scrutiny regarding addictive design features.