TikTok Faces Scrutiny Over Compliance With EU Regulations

TikTok reportedly failed to fully pass a recent test conducted by the European Union’s governing body, raising concerns that the popular social media platform is not yet compliant with upcoming regulations.

On Monday, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton and his team conducted a “stress test” at TikTok’s Dublin offices, with the results indicating that more work is needed to abide by rules set under the EU’s Digital Services Act by the end of August, Bloomberg reported Tuesday (July 18).

TikTok did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

As of now, the social media platform can count about a quarter of Europe’s population as users, most of whom are teenagers, and the company is one of many internet platforms that must adhere to a long list of moderation protocols or else face fines or banishment from EU countries, according to the Bloomberg report.

After a video call with TikTok’s Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew, in January, Breton said that it was “not acceptable” for users to have access to “harmful and sometimes even life-threatening content” within seconds, the report said.

More recently, Breton commended TikTok for its voluntary agreement to undergo the test and the resources it’s committed to ensuring compliance, per the report.

Monday’s evaluation covered a variety of areas, including child protection, content recommendation and moderation, illegal content online, data access and transparency, according to the report.

With the August deadline approaching, Breton said that it’s now “time to accelerate to be fully compliant.” He added, per the report: “As of the end of August, we will be assessing whether real, tangible changes have materialized on the grounds.”

The Digital Services Act includes content regulations and requires the world’s tech giants to share data with authorities, adhere to a code of conduct, and carry out risk management and independent auditing.

TikTok has faced scrutiny in the United States as well. In March, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the time has come to put some restrictions on the social media app.

“The House will be moving forward with legislation to protect Americans from the technological tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party,” McCarthy said in a March 26 tweet.