European Commission: TikTok violates the Digital Services Act

The European Commission has provisionally determined that TikTok is in breach of the rules set out in the Digital Services Act (DSA). Under the DSA, large online platforms are required to make public data easily accessible to researchers. This enables them to assess the impact of these platforms on users’ mental and physical health. The Commission’s investigation indicates that TikTok employs systems and procedures that make it difficult for researchers to access such data.

TikTok now has the opportunity to review the Commission’s case file and respond to the preliminary findings. TikTok may also take measures to address the identified violations.

If TikTok fails to convincingly refute the preliminary findings, the European Commission may impose a fine of up to 6% of the company’s global annual turnover. Additionally, the Commission can impose periodic penalty payments to compel TikTok to comply with the DSA.

Read the European Commission’s press release here.