TikTok charged with breaching EU tech rules on online safety for kids, EU says

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS, July 24 (Reuters) - ByteDance's social media platform TikTok has been charged with breaching EU online content rules due to design features which could expose children to predators or cyberbullying, EU regulators said on Friday, putting the company at risk of a hefty fine.

The charges, called preliminary findings under the Digital Services Act which requires Big Tech to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content, are the fourth allegation against TikTok in two years.

The European Commission, which serves as the EU tech enforcer, said TikTok accounts fall short of DSA safety standards.

It said the social media platform allows children to make their account public, enabling others to see the content and potentially exposing them to cyberbullying or contact from abusers.

It said even private accounts are not safe for children as they can be easily found through the 'following' and 'followers' list of other users, even by people who do not have a TikTok account.

TikTok should adjust the default settings of minors' public accounts so that the content is by default only visible to TikTok users accepted by the children, the Commission said.

TikTok said it would review the EU findings and work constructively with the regulator.

"Teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 preset privacy and safety features, informed by experts, from the moment they set up an account," the company said.

"Under 18 accounts are private by default and we are one of the only platforms where younger teens cannot use direct messaging or have their content eligible to appear in the For You feed," it said.

TikTok can now examine the Commission's documents and respond before the watchdog issues a decision that could include a fine of as much as 6% of its global annual turnover.

"The Digital Services Act requires platforms to build protections for minors into the design of their services, and holds them to account when they fail to do so," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. "A high level of protection should not be an opt-in; it should be the default."

The company offered concessions to stave off fines in two previous cases while a third case is still ongoing. 

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)