TikTok Child Safety Probe
European Commission preliminarily finds TikTok violates minor safety standards, risking teen exposure and interactions
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Key Points
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The EU highlighted that minors can set their accounts to public, which can allow content from older minors to be recommended to a broader audience through TikTok’s For You feed.
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The platform’s algorithm has been noted to sometimes surface content posted by 16- and 17-year-olds to other users, broadening visibility of teen content.
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The EU’s Digital Services Act probe into TikTok’s teen account settings began in February 2024.
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Earlier EU findings flagged addictive design features, such as autoplay and infinite scrolling, as potential harms to minors.
The European Commission has found that TikTok violated the EU's digital rulebook by failing to protect the privacy of minors on its platform, according to WBAL-TV. The preliminary finding says TikTok allowed adults to view teen accounts, exposing children to cyberbullying and predatory behavior.
If the findings are upheld, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue. The company has been given a chance to respond in writing before any final decision is made, WTOP reported.
Teen Accounts Could Be Public and Easily Found
The EU found that TikTok lets minors set their accounts to public by default. That means adults can view their content without any barrier. Profile pictures and follower lists can also reveal a user's age, making it easier for bad actors to target young people, according to Yahoo Finance.
The commission also noted that teen accounts' private mode is easy to override. Once switched to public, content from 16- and 17-year-olds can appear in TikTok's For You feed — reaching users far beyond their followers. That broad reach is a core concern for EU regulators.
TikTok's Algorithm Pushes Teen Content to Strangers
TikTok's recommendation algorithm can surface content posted by older teens to a wide, unknown audience. The EU flagged this as a serious risk. When a 16-year-old's video lands on a stranger's For You page, that teen has no control over who is watching, Winnipeg Free Press reported.
Regulators say this system increases the chance that minors will be exposed to harm. The EU's concern is not just about who follows a teen — it's about who the algorithm decides to show their content to next.
EU Probe Into TikTok's Teen Settings Started in 2024
The European Commission opened its investigation into TikTok's teen account settings in February 2024. The probe falls under the Digital Services Act, or DSA — an EU law that requires large platforms to protect users from online harm. TikTok has more than 45 million users in Europe, Richmond News reported.
Earlier DSA findings already flagged TikTok for addictive design features like autoplay and infinite scrolling. Regulators said those tools push minors to keep watching without stopping — raising mental health concerns. This latest finding adds a privacy layer to those earlier worries.
TikTok Now Faces a Major Fine and a Formal Response
The European Commission's finding is preliminary, not final. TikTok still has a chance to reply in writing and challenge the conclusions. But if the EU upholds the ruling, the company could be fined up to 6% of its total global annual revenue — a potentially massive sum for one of the world's biggest apps, WTOP noted.
TikTok has not yet publicly accepted or denied the findings. The outcome of this case could set a major precedent for how the EU enforces child safety rules on large social media platforms going forward.
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