The EU has given TikTok 24 hours to conduct a risk assessment of a new service it has launched over concerns it could encourage children to become addicted to videos on the platform.
Launched this month in France and Spain, TikTok Lite, an app that lets you earn rewards just by watching, is effectively TikTok’s coin currency that rewards points earned through Amazon coupons, gift cards via PayPal, or “tasks.” We offer prizes such as:
“Tasks” include watching videos, liking content, following creators, inviting friends to TikTok, and more.
The European Commission said TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, should have carried out a risk assessment before introducing the app, and said it was now seeking “further details”.
The intervention comes months after sweeping new laws came into force under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires technology companies and social media platforms to follow new rules regarding the services they offer to users and the removal of illegal content. It was done later.
In February, the commission launched a formal investigation into TikTok, alleging violations of the DSA in areas related to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, and risk management around addictive design and harmful content. We evaluated whether there is any gender.
Investigations into child protection on TikTok include age verification, an issue highlighted by a Guardian investigation into the platform last year.
While the commission said its request for further information regarding TikTok’s internal controls does not prejudge the possibility of further action, the commission said in response to the request that “any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading” We have the power to impose fines.”
The organization said its request related to concerns “about the potential impact of the new Tasks and Rewards Lite program on the protection of minors and the mental health of users, particularly in relation to the potential stimulation of addictive behavior.” He said that
Last year, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy formally warned the nation that social media poses a “risk of serious harm” to the mental health of children and adolescents.
In September, TikTok was fined 350 million euros by the EU’s chief regulator for violating privacy laws regarding the processing of children’s personal data.
In addition to the 24-hour deadline for the risk assessment, TikTok must also provide other information by April 26, the commission said.
The company said it would honor the request. “We have already been in direct contact with the commission regarding this product and will respond to requests for information,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
The company said the benefit is limited to people aged 18 and over, subject to age verification, and the maximum payment is set at €1 (approximately £0.85) per day.
Source: www.theguardian.com
