EU launches probe, threatens to suspend TikTok Lite app’s ‘addictive’ rewards
Mr. Muizzu’s foreign policy priorities are no secret. After making “India out” his poll plank in last year’s Presidential race, he gave it policy direction, eventually getting New Delhi to agree to replace its military personnel with civilians. Around the same time, he pledged to elevate strategic ties with China.
According to Ahmed Mohamed, a former diplomat who served as the Maldives’s Ambassador to India during President Yameen’s term, the results of the general election in the Maldives only point to a continuing trend observed in the past two elections.
“There is a widespread belief among the public that in order to sustain progress, development, and prosperity, the government must secure an absolute majority in the Majlis,” he told The Hindu.
“Given this outcome, I do not anticipate any changes to the foreign policy of the Maldives,” he added.
The EU on Monday launched a probe into TikTok’s spin-o Lite app and threatened to suspend an “addictive” feature on it that rewards users for watching and liking videos, amid child-safety concerns.
TikTok Lite arrived in France and Spain in March allowing users aged 18 and over to earn points that can be exchanged for goods like vouchers or gift cards through the app’s rewards programme.
The European Commission said in a statement it has concerns about the app’s “risks of serious damage for the mental health of users”, including minors.
TikTok Lite is a smaller version of the popular TikTok app, taking up less memory in a smartphone and made slower
TikTok last week failed to provide a risk assessment for the spin-o app by an April 18 deadline, the to perform over Internet connections. commission said, demanding the company now hand it over by Tuesday.
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has until Wednesday to present a formal defence.
Commission’s warning
The commission also warned if TikTok failed to reply to the request, it could impose nes of up to 1% of its total annual income or of its global turnover and periodic penalties up to 5% of its average daily income or annual turnover worldwide.
TikTok said it would continue discussions with the commission but insisted the programme was not available to minors.