Due to these violations, the company faces a large fine.
According to the EU, minors’ accounts should only be visible to individuals to whom the children themselves have granted permission. TikTok can be used by children aged 13 and older.
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“High-level protection should not be an optional feature; it must be the default,” said Henna Virkkunen (Hena Virkunen), Executive Vice-President of the Commission responsible for technological sovereignty, security, and democracy, in a statement.
TikTok representatives assert that the company is committed to ensuring the online safety of minors.
The EU has intensified efforts to protect minors, and new rules are expected to be introduced later this year that will prohibit children under 13 from using social media.
Brussels launched an investigation into China-owned TikTok in 2024 under the Digital Services Act – a key EU legal tool used in recent years to rein in large tech companies.
Under this legislation, the default settings for children’s accounts must ensure the highest level of security.
“TikTok’s account settings do not meet this standard, as they too broadly expose minors’ accounts and their content,” the EU stated in its preliminary finding.
During the investigation, the EU found that minors can make their accounts public, meaning their content can be seen by anyone, even those without a TikTok account.
Even when children choose to make their accounts private, such users can be “easily found” through other users’ “following” and “followers” lists.
“TikTok’s settings continue to pose risks to them, including unwanted contacts, cyberbullying, or predatory behavior,” the EU warned.
Brussels instructed TikTok to adjust the default settings for minors’ public accounts so that they are visible only to users approved by the child.
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A TikTok spokesperson stated that teen accounts have over 50 pre-set privacy and security features and emphasized that accounts for users under 18 are private by default.
“We will review these preliminary findings and continue to cooperate constructively” with the EU, the spokesperson added.
EU age verification app
If the EU’s findings regarding TikTok are confirmed, the company could face a fine of up to six percent of its annual global turnover.
The EU already took unprecedented action against TikTok in February, instructing the platform to change its addictive design. Otherwise, it would face significant fines.
Meta found itself at the epicenter of similar scrutiny after Brussels instructed the tech giant two weeks ago to change addictive design features, such as endless scrolling.
In Europe, there is a growing push to restrict younger children’s access to social media and other digital platforms. France this week became the first EU country to ban social media for individuals under 15.
Experts appointed by EU leader Ursula von der Leyen (Urzula von der Lajen) earlier this month recommended that the 27-nation bloc ban children under 13 from having their own social media accounts.
U. von der Leyen is expected to announce the EU’s approach in September, but she has already hinted that she supports the experts’ recommendations.
The EU is also preparing to implement a bloc-wide age verification app to ensure platforms verify users’ ages before granting access to their services.
