The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of failing to protect minors, as its account settings expose them to risks such as cyberbullying and predatory behavior, which could lead to a hefty fine for the company.
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The EU stated that minors’ accounts should only be visible to those they have given permission to. Children aged 13 or older can use TikTok.
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“A high level of protection should not be an option that needs to be activated; it should be the default setting,” said EU technology chief, Henna Virkkunen, in a statement.
The EU has intensified its efforts to protect minors with new rules planned for later this year that will prohibit children under 13 from using social media.
Brussels launched its investigation into TikTok, owned by Chinese group ByteDance, in 2024 under the Digital Services Act (DSA), an online content law.
Under the DSA, minors’ account settings default to the strictest security and protection measures.
“TikTok’s account settings do not comply with this standard,” the EU stated in its preliminary assessment. This “continues to expose them to risks, such as unwanted contact, cyberbullying, or predatory behavior.”
The EU found during the investigation that minors can make their accounts public, meaning that anyone, whether or not they have a TikTok account, can view their content.
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Even when minors choose to make their accounts private, they can be “easily found.”
A TikTok spokesperson stated that teen accounts have more than 50 pre-configured privacy and security features, and emphasized that accounts for users under 18 are private by default.
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“We will analyze these preliminary findings as we continue to collaborate constructively” with the EU, the spokesperson added.
If the EU’s findings on TikTok are confirmed, the bloc could impose a fine of up to 6% of the company’s total annual global turnover.
The EU already took an unprecedented step in February against TikTok when it ordered the platform to modify its addictive design, under penalty of facing heavy fines.
Meta has faced similar scrutiny after Brussels ordered the tech giant two weeks ago to modify its addictive design features.
The trend in Europe is currently moving towards opposing younger people accessing social media and other digital platforms. France this week approved a ban on social media access for children under 15.
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