EU Finds TikTok Failed to Protect Minors' Accounts

The European Commission announced on Friday that TikTok has failed to adequately protect children's privacy rights on its platform, a finding that exposes minors to risks such as cyberbullying, unwanted contact, and predatory behavior. Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the commission, stated that children's content should not be visible to strangers and emphasized that default settings for minors under the Digital Services Act must be effective, not merely cosmetic.

The investigation revealed that children aged 13 to 15 can easily switch their accounts from private to public, and the private accounts of minors aged 16 to 17 are accessible to anyone online. Regnier asserted that the commission "does not accept this" and highlighted the potential for minors to be exposed to predators and grooming. This action follows a series of regulatory actions by Brussels against major technology companies, including Meta and Apple.

TikTok now has the opportunity to respond to the commission's findings. If the company's response is deemed unsatisfactory, the European Commission could issue a non-compliance decision, potentially resulting in a fine of up to 6% of TikTok's total annual revenue. The social media platform, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, stated that it would review the findings and engage constructively with the Commission.

TikTok issued a statement affirming its commitment to protecting minors online and building upon its record of continuous improvement. The commission estimates that a significant portion of TikTok's 170 million users in the EU are children, with approximately 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spending four to five hours daily on the app.