TikTok is under pressure in Europe, and the outcome of this investigation could have significant impacts on the future of the app on the continent.
TikTok, the Chinese social platform operated by ByteDance, is currently subject of an investigation conducted by the European Commission, based on the Digital Services Directives (DSA).
European authorities are examining possible violations of the regulations, focusing mainly on what concerns the protection of the safety of minors.
But not only that: the formal investigation procedures will focus on several issues, including adaptive algorithms, default privacy settings, transparency of ads on the platform and access to data for researchers.
vicious circle
The European Commission has identified a significant problem in the “adaptive design” by TikTok.
The use of algorithms capable of generating an infinite loop of viewing short videos would end up dragging users into a vortex of incessant consumption.
This aspect, in addition to escaping any time limitation of screen display, could negatively impact mental health of young people.
One source of concern is the phenomenon in which TikTok's algorithm progressively suggests more and more extreme videos, dragging those in front of the display into a kind of downward spiral.
Furthermore, the age verification of the platform has been criticized for the lack of effectiveness in the tools that should prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content.
Shadow areas
Europe is examining TikTok's compliance with the provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires the provision of a reliable and easily searchable archive for users advertisements.
At the same time, investigations are underway into researchers' alleged limited access to public data of the platformfurther going against the obligations of the European directive.
The tension between TikTok and the Old Continent has always been evident.
European authorities are determined to ensure the protection of minors and transparency on digital platforms; TikTok and ByteDance have also already contributed in the past extensive changes to comply.
These included the ability for users to opt out of receiving algorithm recommendations on their For You Page (FYP), new reporting options for harmful content and the elimination of personalized ads for EU users aged 13 to 17 years.
Additionally, TikTok is being investigated over its actions against illegal content and misinformation related to ongoing violence in the Middle East, a situation that appears to also affect Meta.
There are rumors that the latter is considering the adoption of a paid model to allow users to opt out of personalized ads, and TikTok could go a similar route.
This suggestion has already led civil rights groups to urge the European Union to reject such proposals as a form of “privacy tax”.
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