European Commission Accuses TikTok of Violating DSA Child‑Protection Rules

TikTok European Commission Digital Services Act child safety AI health misinformation

The European Commission released preliminary findings that TikTok does not meet the child‑safety standards required by the EU Digital Services Act. The Commission says minors can set their accounts to public, allowing anyone – even users without a TikTok account – to view their videos, and that the platform’s algorithm recommends content from 16‑ and 17‑year‑old users to a wide audience. Regulators warn this exposes children to unwanted contact, cyber‑bullying and predatory behaviour. The Commission also noted that private accounts still reveal profile pictures and can be identified through follower lists. If the allegations are confirmed, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6 % of its global annual turnover. This would be the fourth DSA case against the platform in two years.

TikTok has responded that teenage accounts already include more than 50 built‑in privacy and safety features, that accounts under 18 are private by default, and that younger teens cannot use direct messaging or appear in the “For You” feed. The company said it will review the Commission’s findings and submit a formal response.

Separate research by the Hallam digital‑marketing agency in Lithuania found that AI‑generated “doctor” accounts dominate TikTok health‑advice videos, appearing in about 40 % of the most‑viewed health clips and accumulating an average of 2.5 million views each. These accounts spread false medical claims, such as that microwaving food in plastic containers causes cancer or that a concoction called “Hyalethinap Plus Pro Max” can reverse aging. TikTok removed several videos after the Guardian reported the misinformation.

Entities: ByteDance · Digital Services Act · Dr. Emma Runswicková · European Commission · Hallam (digital‑marketing agency) · Henna Virkkunen · TikTok

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] TikTok says teenage accounts have more than 50 built‑in privacy and safety features, are private by default, and restrict direct messaging and recommendation in the For You feed. (TikTok)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The UK regulator Ofcom is conducting its own probe into TikTok’s child‑protection measures. (EU Commission (reported))
[● 2 SOURCES] Henna Virkkunen stated that high level of protection should be the default, not an opt‑in. (Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice‑President for Tech Sovereignty)
[● 5 SOURCES] The European Commission issued preliminary findings accusing TikTok of violating the Digital Services Act's child‑safety requirements. (EU Commission)
[● 3 SOURCES] TikTok's default settings allow minors' accounts to be public, exposing them to any user, including non‑users. (European Commission)
[● 7 SOURCES] Even private accounts allow profile pictures to be accessed and accounts to be identified via followers/following lists. (European Commission)
[● 7 SOURCES] This is the fourth DSA case brought against TikTok in the past two years. (European Commission)
[● 5 SOURCES] A fine of up to 6 % of TikTok's global annual turnover may be imposed if it is found in breach of the DSA. (European Commission)
[○ 1 SOURCE] This is the fourth DSA case against TikTok in the past two years, with two earlier commitments to avoid fines. (multiple)
[● 7 SOURCES] TikTok allows public default settings for minors' accounts, exposing content to any user, including non‑users. (European Commission)
[● 3 SOURCES] The European Commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok violated the Digital Services Act regarding child safety. (multiple)
[● 2 SOURCES] European Commission Executive Vice‑President Henna Virkkunen said high‑level child protection should be the default, not an opt‑in. (multiple)