EU recognises TikTok changes but tells Chinese video giant to ‘spare no effort’ fighting disinformation
- EU internal market commissioner Tierry Breton acknowledged ‘new features’ from the ByteDance-owned short video app for tackling harmful content
- The European Commission was investigating whether TikTok had done enough to be compliant with the Digital Services Act
The EU’s top tech enforcer told TikTok’s CEO on Monday to “spare no effort” to counter disinformation, but recognised the changes already made by the video-sharing platform.
The Chinese-owned app favoured by younger online users is one of 19 platforms that face stricter rules on tackling illegal and harmful content online under a landmark EU law.
“We have seen changes on TikTok’s platform in the past months, with new features being released with the aim to protect users and investments made in content moderation and trust and safety,” Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, said after a video call with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
TikTok said it pulled four million “violative” videos in the European Union in September, in its first transparency report since the Digital Services Act (DSA) came into force across the bloc.
Under the DSA, all major platforms must publish a transparency report every six months.
Breton said the European Commission was investigating whether TikTok had done enough to be compliant with the DSA, after opening a probe last month.
“Now more than ever, we must spare no effort to protect our citizens – especially children and teenagers – against illegal content and disinformation,” he added.