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TikTok Charged by EU Over Alleged Breach of Digital Services Act

By  |  May 15, 2025

TikTok, the widely used short-video platform owned by China-based ByteDance, is under fire from European Union regulators for allegedly breaching the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), according to Reuters. The charges, announced Thursday by the European Commission, could result in a fine of up to 6% of TikTok’s global revenue.

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    The Commission’s preliminary findings stem from an inquiry initiated in February 2024. The core of the EU’s complaint focuses on TikTok’s alleged failure to comply with requirements related to advertising transparency, a key component of the DSA. Under these rules, digital platforms are required to maintain an accessible advertisement repository, enabling users and researchers to trace and identify potentially fraudulent or misleading ads.

    According to Reuters, EU regulators said TikTok failed to offer critical details about the advertisements it runs — including information about who financed them, how users were targeted, and what content was displayed. These transparency obligations are meant to help combat disinformation, scams, and other harmful online activities.

    Related: After Meta, TikTok Now Faces One of EU’s Largest GDPR Fines

    “Transparency in online advertising — who pays and how audiences are targeted — is essential to safeguarding the public interest,” said EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen in a formal statement.

    In response, TikTok challenged the Commission’s interpretation of the rules. A company spokesperson stated, “While we support the goals of the regulation and continue to improve our ad transparency tools, we disagree with some of the Commission’s interpretations and note that guidance is being delivered via preliminary findings rather than clear, public guidelines.” The spokesperson also emphasized the importance of “a level playing field and consistent enforcement” across platforms.

    As Reuters, notes, this marks only one of two ongoing DSA investigations into TikTok. A separate probe is examining how the platform manages content and risks related to electoral integrity — a sensitive area amid growing concerns over digital interference in democratic processes.

    TikTok now has the opportunity to review the Commission’s findings and respond in writing. The EU regulator will then decide whether to impose penalties or issue formal directives for compliance.

    Source: Reuters