World
TikTok reprimanded by EU: minors not properly protected
- According to Brussels, the accounts of minors are not protected well enough.
- If that setting is enabled, any user, even without a TikTok account, can see the videos on that account.
- Content from 16 and 17 year olds can also be recommended to other TikTok users.
The European Commission has reprimanded the social platform TikTok for violating European rules aimed at protecting minors. According to Brussels, the accounts of minors are not protected well enough. On the social platform, users can set their accounts to 'public'.
If that setting is enabled, any user, even without a TikTok account, can see the videos on that account. Content from 16 and 17 year olds can also be recommended to other TikTok users. This can lead to unwanted contact with people with bad intentions, writes the European Commission.
In addition, there is a risk of online bullying and consequences that can last a lifetime. “This feature gives strangers a glimpse into a child's life. What minors post can stay online forever.
That can haunt them later in life. Profile photos Even if minors do not set their settings to 'public', their accounts are easy to find through users who follow them or follow them themselves. In addition, profile photos are visible to everyone, including those who do not have a TikTok account.
The European Commission calls on the Chinese company to adjust the settings so that the content of minors' accounts is only visible to users who have been accepted by the minor. Older minors (aged 16 and 17) have the option to share their videos with a larger audience on the platform, but this should not also be visible to a global audience outside TikTok, the Commission states. The platform is also not allowed to recommend videos of minors to other TikTok users.
Billion-dollar fine The European Commission's judgment does not lead to immediate consequences for the company. TikTok will first have the opportunity to respond to the findings. If the Commission is not satisfied with the answer, a fine may follow.
This amounts to a maximum of 6 percent of the company's total annual turnover. The fine could therefore run into billions. The European Commission concluded in February that TikTok had also violated European rules in another way.
At the time, the criticism was that the TikTok app has all kinds of functions that are very addictive for users. The company could also receive a fine of billions for this.”
Source: NOS