On 24 July, the European Commission sent TikTok preliminary findings indicating that TikTok accounts of minors do not meet the safety standards required under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
On TikTok, minors can choose to set their account as ‘public’. This means that any user, including those without a TikTok account, may be able to view minors’ content. This setting also allows content published by ‘older’ minors (16-17 years old) to be recommended to any other TikTok user through the For You Feed.
This exposure could result in unwanted contact from potential perpetrators and a risk that content can be used for cyberbullying. This feature potentially gives strangers a window into a child’s life. In addition, since what minors publish may stay online forever and follow them into adulthood, the feature comes with risks of potentially life-long consequences.
Even when minors choose private accounts, their accounts can be easily found through the ‘following’ and ‘followers’ lists of other users, and their profile photos remain accessible to anyone, including users without a TikTok account. TikTok’s settings continue to expose them to risks – including unwanted contact, cyberbullying, or predatory behaviour.
Account settings are key to ensure minors are safe online, since they determine who can view their content and who can contact them. Under the DSA, platforms accessible to minors must ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security on their service. The Commission preliminarily considers that TikTok’s account settings fail to meet this standard, as they expose minors’ accounts and content too widely.
More information is available in the press release.
Share this article:
Europa Monitor is a seasoned News Editor with over a decade of experience in journalism. Known for his editorial expertise and commitment to accuracy, Europa Monitor leads teams to deliver high-quality news content.
