TikTok faces threat of hefty fine as EU opens formal investigation over potential breach of Digital Services Act

  • Authorities suspect TikTok may have breached its obligations to protect children through, for example, implementing addictive app designs
  • TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance, could face fines of up to 6 per cent of its global turnover if the popular platform is found guilty of breaching EU rules

The European Union has opened a formal investigation into TikTok over child protection concerns. Photo: Reuters

The European Union (EU) will investigate whether ByteDance-owned TikTok breached online content rules aimed at protecting children and ensuring transparent advertising, an official said on Monday, putting the social media platform at risk of a hefty fine.

EU industry chief Thierry Breton said he took the decision after analysing the short video app’s risk assessment report and its replies to requests for information.

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