EU Opens Second Investigation Into TikTok Over Compliance Concerns

The European Union has launched a second formal investigation into TikTok, citing concerns over its compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). The probe will examine multiple issues, including the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, and the risk management of addictive design and harmful content.

This is not the first time TikTok has faced scrutiny from the EU. Since December, the company has been under investigation over a range of DSA compliance concerns. Although the Commission hasn't yet confirmed any breaches of the DSA, this is the second probe it's opened on TikTok after announcing an ongoing investigation into multiple aspects of its DSA compliance back in February.

If the EU finds that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has broken the law, it could face hefty fines. Penalties for confirmed violations of the DSA can reach up to 6% of global annual turnover. The development shows the EU cracking down on a product launch it deems risky where it can show a platform has not followed expected procedure.

Although the EU has given TikTok until April 24 to argue against the measure, meaning the app remains accessible for now, the Commission is also considering imposing interim measures that could force the company to suspend access to the TikTok Lite app in the EU while it investigates concerns the app poses mental health risks to users.

The European Union's decision to open a second formal investigation into TikTok sends a strong signal that the bloc will not tolerate any violations of its online governance and content moderation framework. With the probe still ongoing, only time will tell what consequences TikTok may face for its alleged non-compliance with the DSA.

Tiktok lite