European Commission Finds TikTok Failed to Shield Minors’ Privacy Under Digital Services Act

European Commission officials announced Friday that TikTok breached the EU’s Digital Services Act by failing to establish sufficient safeguards for children’s privacy on its platform. The agency said the social media company allowed adults unrestricted access to accounts belonging to minors, creating pathways for cyberbullying, unsolicited communication and predatory conduct.

Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated that minors aged 13 to 15 can readily switch their accounts from private to public status, while teenagers aged 16 to 17 have private profiles viewable to the general public. He emphasized that default privacy settings for young users represent a mandatory requirement under the Digital Services Act, not an optional preference.

The commission’s findings represent the latest in a series of enforcement actions against technology companies operating within the EU. Brussels has previously pursued regulatory measures against Meta and Apple, positioning itself as the global leader in tech industry oversight.

TikTok now has an opportunity to respond to the commission’s conclusions. Should authorities remain unsatisfied with the company’s defense, they may issue a non-compliance order and impose financial penalties reaching up to 6 percent of annual global revenue.

TikTok stated it would examine the findings and collaborate with Brussels, noting that protecting minors online aligns with its organizational values. The commission estimates that the majority of TikTok’s 170 million EU users are children, with roughly 7 percent of those aged 12 to 15 spending four to five hours daily on the platform.

In February, the commission separately determined that TikTok’s algorithmic features, including autoplay and infinite scrolling functionality, violated digital regulations due to their potentially addictive design that could harm users’ physical and mental wellbeing.