A top European Union (EU) official has urged TikTok to comply with upcoming content rules or face a ban. Yikes.
What he said: EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted, “With younger audiences comes greater responsibility.”
With younger audiences comes greater responsibility.
As a platform reaching millions of young Europeans, #TikTok has to fully comply with EU law, notably the #DSA.
I asked TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to demonstrate, as soon as possible, not only efforts but results. pic.twitter.com/3B8yGaIQp2
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) January 19, 2023
Thierry is worried that young users can access “harmful and sometimes even life-threatening content” on TikTok.
He also said the app will come under scrutiny when the Digital Service Act (DSA) takes effect, saying that if the DSA were in effect today, TikTok would already be banned.
Act accordingly: The DSA – which requires all companies to comply by September 1 – will focus on protecting users when it comes to content and tracking.
Companies will need to follow a long list of rules, or face a fine of up to 6% of their annual revenue – and possibly even be banned from the EU.
How likely is an EU ban on TikTok? Well, maybe an outright ban is a bit far-fetched.
The EU has yet to ban any app for not following the rules. But with the US considering a ban on TikTok, let’s wait and see.
Why we care: TikTok just keeps getting bigger by the day among European users, and consequently advertisers.
The DSA could have huge implications on the way advertising and tracking work on the platform, so it’s worth keeping track of these events.
Alex Lim
Alex Lim is a certified book reviewer and editor with over 10 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has reviewed hundreds of books for reputable magazines and websites, such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Goodreads. Alex has a master’s degree in comparative literature from Harvard University and a PhD in literary criticism from Oxford University. He is also the author of several acclaimed books on literary theory and analysis, such as The Art of Reading and How to Write a Book Review. Alex lives in London, England with his wife and two children. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook
