TikTok, the social media platform best known for teenagers performing elaborate dances in front of bemused goldendoodles, has found itself under the stern gaze of the European Commission once again, this time not for its questionable role in youth productivity but for its apparent lack of enthusiasm in complying with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). That is, the shiny new rulebook designed to make Big Tech a bit less big and a touch more accountable.
The European Commission, having the patience of a saint with a calendar, has now issued a formal request for more information from TikTok to see if it is truly playing by the DSA’s rules or just appearing to nod along while quietly ignoring the finer print. In particular, the Commission is investigating whether TikTok Lite, the app’s less calorie intensive version recently launched in select EU countries, complies with the transparency and safety requirements that the DSA so dearly insists upon.
TikTok Lite, which sounds like a lower-fat alternative but is really just a pared-down app designed for slower mobile connections and presumably less attention from regulators, has raised eyebrows for launching its “task and reward” program. This delightful feature allows users to earn points by watching videos which, if history has taught us anything, will most likely be used to buy more items they didn’t really need and definitely didn’t want until the algorithm insisted otherwise. The Commission suspects this might be dangerously akin to a psychological slot machine, just with trendier music and worse privacy settings.
The Commission has given TikTok until May 3 to explain exactly how this program works and whether it’s safe for the children who will undoubtedly find a way onto the app regardless of any age restrictions. If TikTok fails to reply or provides answers less satisfying than a cold croissant, the EU could proceed with formal proceedings, and no one likes formal proceedings except, perhaps, the people who draft them.
The DSA, for those who have been blissfully ignoring European tech legislation, is designed to hold Very Large Online Platforms responsible for everything from systemic risks to content moderation. TikTok, with its tens of millions of users in the bloc, qualifies as very large indeed, though certainly not in the way it hoped.
As ever, TikTok has said it is working diligently to address the Commission’s concerns, which is public relations speak for “we’re sending several strongly worded emails and hoping someone replies before the deadline.”
“We are committed to keeping our community safe and to complying with all European regulations,” a TikTok spokesperson said, practicing from the well-thumbed corporate playbook of Things to Say When the EU Sends a Letter.
In the end, the standoff continues between Brussels and ByteDance, with regulators waving legislation and TikTok waving its community guidelines. If nothing else, the EU seems determined to teach the app a dance of its own, featuring the careful steps of compliance, transparency and, of course, the occasional regulatory tap dance.
Turns out TikTok’s toughest challenge yet may not be a viral dance but reading the fine print.