TikTok will once again have trouble with the European Union. Because the Commission has just launched a new investigation into its TikTok Lite application.
The warning was quickly sent. While TikTok launched its new TikTok Lite application during the month of April, which made it possible to obtain rewards in the form of Amazon vouchers for those spending time on the interface, Brussels reacted. The EU quickly requested information from ByteDance, the parent company of the application. And at the start of the week it is opening a new investigation, which could hurt the Chinese group.
The EU fears addiction phenomena
TikTok Lite will indeed be the subject of an official investigation. And this, for reasons which have been explained in particular by European Commissioner Thierry Breton. “ We suspect the TikTok Lite feature is toxic and addictive, especially among children » he indicated on X.
TikTok must now produce a response to these accusations, a response to be sent before Wednesday April 24. And the latter is all the more expected as the application had already not produced the risk assessment document that was requested of it last week, which, under the Digital Services Act (DSA), could attract significant fines.
TikTok Lite soon to be suspended?
For the moment, no particular type of financial sanction has been mentioned by the European Commission. On the other hand, the rapid suspension of TikTok Lite would not be very surprising, given the words used by the members of the European executive.
“ Unless TikTok provides compelling evidence of its security, which it has not done so far, we are prepared to trigger the DSA’s interim measures, including the suspension of the TikTok Lite feature which, according to us, could generate an addiction » Threatened Thierry Breton.
For its part, TikTok defended itself by recalling that the Lite application was placed on the market with several constraints, to ensure its security. She thus argues that, normally, the application is inaccessible to those under 18, and the time that a user can spend on it on a daily basis is limited. Which does not seem enough for Brussels.
Source : Reuters, Engadget
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