The European Commission has announced that TikTok Lite‘s reward program could face suspension in the European Union starting Thursday if TikTok fails to address concerns regarding its potential addictive impact on children.
The Commission has initiated an investigation into the launch of the new app in France and Spain, applying the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates leading online platforms to take more proactive measures against harmful and illegal content, with the risk of fines up to 6% of their global annual turnover.
EU industry chief Thierry Breton stated on Monday that unless TikTok provides compelling evidence of its safety, which it has not yet done, they are prepared to enact DSA interim measures, including the suspension of TikTok Lite’s features, which are suspected to contribute to addiction.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance, has until Wednesday to present its case before the Commission decides whether to proceed with a suspension. A TikTok spokesperson expressed disappointment with the Commission’s decision, emphasizing that the TikTok Lite rewards hub is inaccessible to individuals under 18, with daily limits on video watch tasks, and affirmed their commitment to ongoing discussions with the Commission.
The Commission has also granted TikTok 24 hours to submit a risk assessment report on TikTok Lite, or face fines up to 1% of its global annual turnover. Additionally, TikTok has until May 3 to provide other requested information.
TikTok Lite was recently launched in France and Spain, featuring a reward program allowing users to accumulate points by engaging in various platform activities such as watching videos, liking content, following creators, or inviting friends to join. However, the Commission noted that TikTok launched TikTok Lite without submitting a required risk assessment report under the DSA.
This investigation adds to another inquiry initiated in February, examining whether TikTok may have violated DSA regulations pertaining to child protection and transparent advertising.
