The European Commission concluded Friday that TikTok breached the Digital Services Act by failing to protect the privacy of minors [1].
This finding marks a significant escalation in the European Union's effort to regulate big tech platforms. By determining that the company failed to shield children from online risks, the Commission is signaling that privacy defaults for minors are a non-negotiable requirement under EU law.
According to the Commission, TikTok's privacy settings left children's accounts open to adult access [2]. This exposure reportedly left minors vulnerable to various online threats, including cyberbullying, and predatory behavior [3]. The regulator said that these failures constitute a breach of the EU's digital rule book [4].
The findings focus on the platform's inability to prevent adults from accessing the profiles of underage users. The Commission said the company failed to implement sufficient safeguards to ensure that children's data and interactions remained private and secure from external threats [5].
TikTok now faces severe financial consequences for these violations. The platform could be subject to a fine of up to six percent of its global revenue [6]. Such a penalty would represent one of the largest fines ever levied against a social media company under the Digital Services Act's framework [6].
Brussels has continued to increase its scrutiny of how algorithmic platforms handle sensitive demographics. The Commission said the protection of minors is a primary objective of the current regulatory regime [5].
“TikTok breached the EU Digital Services Act by failing to protect minors' privacy”
This ruling establishes a strict legal precedent for 'privacy by design' regarding children in the EU. By targeting the default accessibility of minors' accounts, the European Commission is moving beyond simple data collection concerns and focusing on the physical and psychological safety of users. A potential fine based on global revenue underscores the EU's intent to make regulatory compliance more profitable than paying penalties.
