The European Commission stated on Wednesday (April 17) that it has requested ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to provide a risk assessment report within 24 hours, as it is concerned that the new TikTok Lite app launched this month in France and Spain may have an impact on the mental health of children and general users.
On April 11, TikTok announced the introduction of a new service called TikTok Lite in France and Spain. The TikTok Lite version includes a new feature called “Task and Reward Lite” targeting users above 18 years old. This feature allows users to earn points by completing tasks on the platform, such as watching videos, liking certain content, following creators, or inviting friends to join TikTok. These points can be exchanged for rewards like Amazon vouchers, PayPal gift cards, or TikTok coins that can be used to tip creators.
The European Commission emphasized that TikTok should conduct a risk assessment before launching this new application in the 27 EU countries.
Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Market, made this request based on the Digital Services Act (DSA), an EU technical regulation, citing concerns over potential violations by TikTok which prompted an investigation two months ago.
This landmark legislation requires digital companies to take more measures to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms, with fines for violations potentially reaching up to 6% of their global annual revenue.
Breton stated on social media, “Is this social media ‘Lite’ as addictive and toxic as ‘Lite’ cigarettes? We have just requested information from TikTok Lite and will spare no effort to protect minors in accordance with the DSA.”
The European Commission pointed out that the new feature “Task and Reward Lite” on TikTok Lite could pose risks to the mental health protection of minors and general users by potentially creating addictive behaviors due to stimulation.
TikTok is required to provide a risk assessment report for TikTok Lite within 24 hours and submit the requested information by April 26. The Commission will then analyze TikTok’s response and evaluate next steps.
The European Commission also asked the company to provide details of the measures taken to mitigate system risks.
A TikTok spokesperson stated, “We have directly contacted the Commission regarding this product and will respond to the information requests.”
On February 16, 2021, TikTok faced multiple complaints from the European Consumer Organization (BEUC), alleging violations of EU consumer laws and failure to protect children from hidden advertisements and inappropriate content.