TikTok questioned over its Lite app launched in France and Spain
Cynthia Kroet
Chinese owned social media platform TikTok has 24 hours to submit a risk assessment to the European Commission on its new TikTok Lite app, which it launched in France and Spain this month, the EU executive said in a statement today (17 April).
Through TikTok Lite, users over 18 years old can earn points under a so-called “Reward Program”, while performing certain tasks on the app, such as watching videos, liking content, following creators or inviting friends to join.
These points can be exchanged for rewards, such as
Amazon vouchers, gift cards via PayPal or TikTok's coins currency.
The Commission now said it has questions about the potential impact of the programme on the protection of minors, as well as on the mental health of users, in particular in relation to the potential stimulation of addictive behaviour.
Besides the risk assessment, the platform has until 26 April to provide more details on the measures the platform has put in place to mitigate risks. After that, the Commission will assess next steps.
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The request for information comes after the Commission opened formal proceedings against Bythedance, TikTok’s parent company, in February of this year under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The focus of the ongoing investigation is on the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content.
The DSA, which applied to all platforms since February, imposed stringent transparency obligations on online platforms and marketplaces. The EU executive also opened proceedings against other platforms including X and ALiExpress.