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EU Threatens TikTok With Ban If It Doesn’t Follow EU Rules

By  |  January 19, 2023

Chinese social media company TikTok could face a ban in the European Union if it does not step up efforts to comply with EU legislation before September, the top official overseeing the EU’s internal market told the company’s CEO on Thursday.

TikTok needs to bring its business in line with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) well ahead of the deadline of Sept. 1, European Commissioner Thierry Breton told Shou Zi Chew, according to an EU readout of a video call between the two.

“We will not hesitate to adopt the full scope of sanctions to protect our citizens if audits do not show full compliance,” Breton said.

TikTok said in response that it was committed to the DSA, and had also outlined its efforts to comply with other EU legislation, such as GDPR data protections rules and a code of practice on disinformation.

Read more: TikTok CEO Reassures EU Officials They Are Serious About Data & Privacy

“The safety of our users is paramount,” Caroline Greer, TikTok’s director of public policy and government relations, tweeted.