TikTok charged by EU over alleged violations of child online safety rules

The European Commission has issued preliminary findings charging TikTok with breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act regarding child safety. Regulators warned that certain account features could expose children to predators or cyberbullying, ultimately leaving the company vulnerable to substantial financial penalties.

The charges, issued as preliminary findings under the law, require Big Tech to combat illegal and harmful content against TikTok in two years.

According to the European Commission, TikTok accounts fall short of safety guardrails because the platforms allow children to make their accounts public exposing them to risks such as cyberbullying or unwanted content.

This further implies that even private accounts are also not safe for children as profile details remain visible to anyone including people who do not have a TikTok account.

In this regard, the company said: “ Teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 preset privacy and safety features informed by experts from the moment they set up an account.”

“Under 18 accounts are private by default and we are one of the only platforms where younger teens cannot use direct messaging or have their content eligible to appear in your feed,” the statement continues.”

The Commission further underlined that default settings must ensure content is only visible to approved contacts.

TikTok can now review the Commission's documents before regulators issue a final ruling which could include fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.

Nonetheless, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen asserted that the Digital Services Act mandates platforms to embed safeguards directly into service design, holding them responsible when they fail, and emphasizing that protecting children should not be a reconsideration.