The EU has given TikTok 24 hours to carry out a risk assessment on a new service it launched amid concerns it could encourage children to become addicted to videos on the platform.
The app to watch and receive rewards, TikTok Lite, launched in France and Spain this month, in fact offers users prizes such as Amazon vouchers, gift cards through PayPal or the TikTok Coins currency for the points obtained through of “tasks”.
“Tasks” include watching videos, liking content, following creators, or inviting friends to join TikTok.
The European Commission said TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, should have carried out a risk assessment before rolling out the app and now wants “more details.”
His intervention comes months after sweeping new laws came into effect under the Digital Services Act (DSA), requiring tech companies and social media platforms to follow new rules on services offered to users. and the removal of illegal content.
In February this year the commission opened a formal investigation into TikTok to assess whether it may have breached the DSA in areas linked to the protection of minors and advertising transparency, as well as risk management in relation to addictive design and harmful content. .
The investigation into child protection on TikTok includes age verification, an issue highlighted by a Guardian investigation into the platform last year.
The commission said the request for more information about TikTok’s internal controls did not prejudge possible additional measures, while warning that it “has the power to impose fines for incorrect, incomplete or misleading information” in response to its requests.
It said its request was related to concerns about “the potential impact of the new light chores and rewards program on the protection of minors, as well as on the mental health of users, in particular in relation to the possible stimulation of addictive behavior.” .
Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a formal warning across the United States that social media posed a “profound risk of harm” to the mental well-being of children and adolescents.
In September, the EU’s top regulator fined TikTok €350 million for violating privacy laws regarding the processing of children’s personal data.
In addition to the 24-hour deadline for risk assessment, TikTok must provide the rest of the information by April 26, the commission said.
The company said it would 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,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
The company has said that rewards are restricted to people over 18, who must verify their age, and payments are capped at €1 (£0.85) per day.