The The EU launched an investigation into the TikTok Lite application on Monday and threatened to suspend a function that rewards users for watching and liking videos“, due to the risks of generating addictive behaviors.
In a statement, the European Comission (executive arm of the EU) expressed concern because “it considers that there are risks of serious damage to the mental health of users”, especially for minors.
What is TikTok Lite
TikTok Lite is a simplified version of the popular video app, which takes up less memory on a smartphone and is designed to work with slower Internet connections.
This new TikTok plan includes a “Rewards Program” through points awarded to users who complete tasks such as watching a full video, liking it, following content creators, and inviting your contacts to join the platform.
Those points can be later exchanged for vouchers for purchases on Amazon or resources on the PayPal payment network. TikTok Lite was launched in March in France and Spain.
The EU investigation into the new TikTok app
The Commission noted in its note that it must analyze whether TikTok launched its new application in the EU without complying with the law that regulates large digital platforms, and that requires them to previously present a risk assessment study.
a week ago the Commission demands TikTok -owned by the Chinese giant ByteDance- which present details on risk assessment due to the possibility that its application generates addictive behaviors. However, The company did not present the required datanoted the Commission.
Now, the EU is analyzing whether the launch of TikTok Lite occurred without the Commission having analyzed prior risk assessment studies.
The suspension of TikTok Lite by the European Union
The commission suspects that TikTok launched the app “without a prior and diligent evaluation of the risks involvedparticularly those related to the addictive effect of the platforms.” Therefore, The Commission threatened to impose provisional measuresincluding the suspension of the bounty program in the European Union, “pending the evaluation of its safety.”
In your note, The Commission warned that if TikTok fails to present the new information by Wednesday of this week you will be exposed to fines that can reach 1% of your total annual income.
In the statement, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, mentioned that “TikTok ‘Lite’ could be as toxic and addictive as ‘light’ cigarettes”.
“Unless TikTok provide compelling evidence of its safetysomething it has not done until now, we are willing to activate provisional measures,” he noted. The commission also questioned TikTok about the measures it contemplates to mitigate “systemic risks” of its Lite app, and gave the platform until May 3 to respond.
The European Commission’s investigation into TikTok
In February, The Commission had already opened a formal investigation into TikTok for alleged violations of their obligations to protect minors online.
On the evea, the United States House of Representatives approved on Saturday a project law that would force TikTok to divest from ByteDance or face a ban in the United States, where it has about 170 million users.
Source: Ambito
