TikTok suspends functionality in the European Union that rewards time spent in front of screens

The European Union has won a round in its standoff against TikTok. The social network declared on Wednesday April 24 that it was suspending “voluntarily” the feature of its new TikTok Lite app that rewards users for screen time. This controversial new service, launched in France and Spain at the end of March, had been accused of dangerously reinforcing dependence on the social network by pushing users to stay connected.

“Our children are not guinea pigs for social networks”immediately reacted the European Digital Commissioner, Thierry Breton, who clarified on X that the procedures initiated against the platform concerning “the risk of addiction” continued. He announced on Monday the opening of an investigation by Brussels and threatened to pronounce the suspension on Thursday. The European Commission, which plays the role of digital policeman in the EU, considered that the mechanism posed “serious risks for the mental health of users”.

A service contested “from its launch”

“TikTok always seeks to work constructively with the European Commission and other regulators, so we are voluntarily suspending the rewards features in TikTok Lite while we address the concerns they have raised”declared the social network, in a message broadcast on X.

The TikTok Lite feature suspended on Wednesday rewarded users with tokens if they logged in daily for ten days, spent time watching videos (with a limit of 60 to 85 minutes per day), and made certain actions. These coins were then exchangeable for gift cards on partner sites, such as Amazon. The French Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Marina Ferrari, welcomed the social network’s decision on “alert, from its launch, of this questionable drift and of the risks it posed to its users”.