Social network TikTok pledged on Monday to permanently remove from the EU the controversial feature of its new TikTok Lite app that rewards video viewing, in a first major achievement under new EU digital legislation.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance, launched its new service in France and Spain in the spring before suspending it a few weeks later, following the opening of an investigation by Brussels which had mentioned “serious risks to the mental health of users”.
“We have obtained the definitive withdrawal of the #TikTokLite rewards program which could have had very addictive consequences,” said the European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, Thierry Breton sur X.
“The available brain time of young Europeans is not a bargaining chip for social networks,” added the former French minister.
Stressing the group’s willingness to work “constructively” with the European Commission, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed the withdrawal.
This is a significant success for the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to regulate online content by forcing large platforms to comply with laws and cooperate with regulators.
The controversial feature rewards users for watching videos or performing other actions like liking videos and following content creators. These rewards are then redeemed for gift cards to partner sites.
The Commission, which acts as the EU’s digital watchdog, insists that it will “carefully monitor” TikTok’s compliance with the binding commitments the platform has proposed.
It specifies that any violation of these “would immediately amount” to a violation of the Digital Services Regulation and could therefore result in fines.
“Clear message to the entire sector”
According to the Commission, the social network has also undertaken “not to launch any other programme which would circumvent the withdrawal”.
“The decision taken today sends […] “a clear message to the entire social media sector,” stressed the European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager.
For ARCOM, the audiovisual and digital regulator in France, this definitive withdrawal of a feature demonstrates “the ability of the European Commission and national regulators to demand more responsible behavior from digital players.”
The social network has repeatedly reminded that only people aged 18 or over can collect points. But many experts regularly point out that the risks of circumvention are significant.
TikTok remains under investigation by the European Commission, opened in February, for alleged failures in the protection of minors.
In the United States, the hugely popular app is now the target of a complaint from the Department of Justice, which accuses it of “widespread violations of children’s privacy laws.”
According to the complaint, TikTok “knowingly” allowed children to create accounts and surf the social network used by 170 million people in the United States, including a large proportion of teenagers and young adults.