EU looks into TikTok’s Lite app purchases
The app’s potential effects on addiction in young people worry the European Commission
A 24-hour deadline has been set by the EU for TikTok to complete a risk assessment for its new service, in response to concerns that the platform could lead to child addictions to its videos.
Recently released TikTok Lite is a watch-and-get-rewarded app that gives users rewards for their points, such Amazon gift cards, PayPal gift cards, or TikTok Coins, which are acquired through “tasks.” This month, the app was released in France and Spain.
Watching videos, like content, following producers, and requesting friends to join TikTok are some examples of the “tasks” that users must complete
TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance in China, was reportedly under pressure to perform a risk assessment before to app launch, and as a result, the European Commission has demanded “further details.
The Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates that internet companies and social media platforms follow new rules for the services they give to customers and the removal of illegal content, is what prompted the European Commission to become involved.
The commission opened a formal inquiry into TikTok in February of this year to see if there had been any violations of the DSA in relation to risk management, addictive design, and dangerous material, as well as the protection of children and advertising transparency.
Age verification is one part of the TikTok child protection probe that was highlighted by a Guardian investigation into the platform last year.
The commission made it clear that the request for more details about TikTok’s internal controls does not mean that future actions will be fixed. In answer to its questions, it did, however, issue a warning, adding that it “has the authority to levy fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information”.
According to the EU, the reason for its investigation was concerns about “the possible effects of the new task and reward lite programme on the protection of minors, as well as on the mental well-being of users, especially concerning the potential encouragement of addictive behaviour.”
A worldwide advisory was sent out by US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy last year, warning that social media constituted a “significant risk of harm” to children’s and teens’ mental health.
The main EU authority fined TikTok €350 million in September for breaking privacy laws pertaining to the use of children’s personal data.
The commission states that TikTok has until April 26 to submit the additional information it has asked, in addition to the 24-hour deadline for the risk assessment.
Through a representative, TikTok promised to comply with the request: “We have already been in direct contact with the commission regarding this product and will respond to the request for information.”
The company has declared that payouts are capped at €1 (£0.85) per day and that prizes are only available to people above the age of 18, who must prove their age.
