TikTok announced via X social media platform on Wednesday that it will voluntarily suspend the reward programme of its new app, TikTok Lite, as it seeks to address concerns raised by the European Union (EU). The EU, leveraging its Digital Services Act (DSA), is pushing for stricter measures against illegal and harmful content on online platforms, singling out TikTok for its impact on children.
The EU executive had set a deadline for ByteDance-owned TikTok to address concerns regarding the potentially addictive nature of the reward programme aimed at children, or else face a temporary suspension of the feature.
TikTok responded, stating, “TikTok always seeks to engage constructively with the EU Commission and other regulators. We are therefore voluntarily suspending the rewards functions in TikTok Lite while we address the concerns that they have raised.”
Thierry Breton, the EU industry chief, acknowledged the suspension, emphasizing ongoing investigations into TikTok. He remarked, “Our cases against TikTok on the risk of addictiveness of the platform continue, including the investigation to establish whether the launch of TikTok Lite was done in compliance with the DSA,” adding, “Our children are not guinea pigs for social media.”
TikTok Lite’s reward programme enables users to earn points by engaging in various platform activities, such as watching videos, liking content, following creators, or inviting friends to join.
