EU accuses TikTok of failing to stop kids pretending to be adults

Enlarge (credit: Matt Cardy / Contributor | Getty Images Europe)

The European Commission (EC) is concerned that TikTok isn't doing enough to protect kids, alleging that the short-video app may be sending kids down rabbit holes of harmful content while making it easy for kids to pretend to be adults and avoid the protective content filters that do exist.

The allegations came Monday when the EC announced a formal investigation into how TikTok may be breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA) "in areas linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content."

"We must spare no effort to protect our children," Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, said in the press release, reiterating that the "protection of minors is a top enforcement priority for the DSA."