TikTok Removes Potentially Addictive Features in EU Following European Commission Action

TikTok has actually silently suspended a ‘job and benefit’ function in its TikTok Lite app for the EU following the European Commission opening an examination. Here’s the current.

The examination is the European Union’s 2nd official query into the app, this time examining whether the platform breaks the Digital Services Act. “The Commission is worried that the’Job and Reward Programof TikTok Lite, which enables users to make points while carrying out jobs on TikTok– has actually been released without previous persistent evaluation of the danger it involves,” the main action checks out“In specific, those dangers connected to the addicting impact of the platform, without taking efficient danger alleviating steps.”

TikTok’s failure to carry out a danger evaluation in relation to kid security and psychological health for the function is what triggered the action. Infractions of the Digital Services Act bring charges of as much as 6% of a business’s international yearly turnover. Instead of possibly go through that fine, TikTok has actually chosen to reveal the ‘voluntary’ suspension of the function.

“TikTok constantly looks for to engage constructively with the EU Commission and other regulators,” a declaration published on X/Twitter checks out. “We are for that reason willingly suspending the benefits functions in TikTok Lite while we resolve the issues that they have actually raised.”

The EU’s Market Commissioner Thierry Breton commented“Our kids are not guinea pigs for social networks. I bear in mind of TikTok’s choice to suspend the TikTok Lite ‘benefit program’ in the EU. The case versus TikTok on the danger of addictiveness of the platform continue. The Digital Services Act makes sure the security of our online area.”

While the voluntary suspension of this function might stop this specific examination, TikTok is dealing with another DSA probe revealed in February 2024. That probe will figure out whether TikTok utilized addicting style functions, or is non-compliant in locations of kid security, advertisements openness, and information gain access to for scientists.