EU challenges TikTok for digital advertising transparency
The European Commission has formally accused TikTok of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to provide adequate information about its advertisements, including details on ad content, targeted users, and advertisers’ identities. This marks the first official EU action against TikTok under the DSA, a landmark law designed to regulate online content.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s digital chief, stated that TikTok is not meeting key DSA requirements related to its advertisement library, which hinders thorough evaluation of risks linked to its advertising and targeting mechanisms.
The DSA mandates that major digital platforms maintain an accessible ads library, enabling researchers and civil society to identify misleading advertisements and harmful campaigns. Since the DSA’s implementation last year, the EU has empowered itself to impose penalties of up to 6% of global annual revenues on companies breaching these rules.
TikTok remains under investigation, initiated in February 2024, over concerns about its impact on young users, especially regarding the “rabbit hole” effect where algorithms push increasingly risky content.
The platform has the opportunity to review and respond to the Commission’s findings in writing.
Past EU probes include allegati ons that TikTok was exploited by Russia to influence Romania’s presidential election and scrutiny over its Lite app, which was withdrawn in France and Spain following addiction concerns. Additional worries have arisen over TikTok trends like “SkinnyTok,” which promotes unhealthy body images, although TikTok denies supporting harmful behaviors related to eating and weight loss.
The DSA imposes stricter obligations on the largest platforms to curb illegal content, misinformation, and harmful material. Previously, the EU also accused X (formerly Twitter) of DSA violations related to its verification system.
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