European Union: “Tik Tok” is as dangerous as cigarettes

The European Commission has filed a case against ByteDance, which owns TikTok Lite, alleging that the application may be dangerous for children.

TikTok Lite was launched in Asian beta markets in 2019, and debuted in France and Spain last month.

In a statement issued on Monday, the European Commission said ByteDance launched it in Europe without complying with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, who is responsible for enforcing the DSA law, said: “We suspect that the TikTok Lite application could be as dangerous and addictive as light cigarettes.”

According to the Commission , ByteDance has not submitted a “risk assessment report”, which the DSA requires for “very large online” platforms before launching any new services such as TikTok Lite.

Bureaucrats in Brussels are concerned about the app's "tasks and rewards programme", which allows users to collect points for watching videos, following content creators, inviting friends, etc.

ByteDance explained that TikTok Lite, including the rewards program, is not available to minors in the first place, and that it will continue discussions with the Commission on resolving the issue.

The company was given until next Tuesday to submit a “risk assessment report,” and until May 3 to provide other information requested by the European Commission. The European Union also threatened to impose a fine on the company of up to 1% of its total annual income if it did not comply with the demands.

It is noteworthy that the European Commission launched its first investigation into ByteDance’s compliance with the DSA law regarding the protection of minors last February.