TikTok has risen to stratospheric popularity while getting in the crosshairs of regulators around the world.
Now, its sister app, TikTok Lite, is the new subject of scrutiny.
The platform, a smaller-scale version of the ByteDance-owned TikTok launched in Spain and France last month, rewards users with “points” for the time they spend watching or engaging with videos. These points can later be redeemed as vouchers or gift cards.
But European Union regulators think the app was launched prematurely, without considering the risks it poses to children, prompting a probe to be launched on Monday.
The features on the short-video app are “toxic and addictive” for younger users, EU commissioner Thierry Breton said in a post on X.
🚨We suspect #TikTokLite feature to be toxic & addictive, in particular for children.
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) April 22, 2024
Unless TikTok provides compelling proof of safety —which it failed to do until now—we stand ready to trigger #DSA interim measures including the #suspension of the TikTokLite "reward programme" pic.twitter.com/71neLMrkYy
“Endless streams of short and fast-paced videos could be seen as fun, but also expose our children to risks of addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, low attention spans,” Breton said in a statement. “We suspect TikTok ‘Lite’ could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes ‘light.’”
While the app is still available, the European Commission warned that unless TikTok proves its new app is safe for minors, TikTok Lite could be suspended. It has until May 3 to dispute the Commission’s probe and provide further information on TikTok Lite.
The Chinese-owned app was asked to provide a risk assessment of its Lite app last week, which it failed to do.
If the social media app is found to violate the EU’s rules, it could face a hefty fine worth up to 6% of its annual global turnover.
TikTok Lite is designed to use less memory in a smartphone and display content even with a slower internet connection, lowering the barrier to entry on the app. It is, however, only for those age 18 and above, and it sets a daily time limit for the app’s usage, representatives at TikTok told Fortune in a statement.
“We are disappointed with this decision,” the spokesperson said.
The EU is flexing its new muscle
The probe on TikTok comes just days after the U.S. fast-tracked a law potentially banning the app in the country over national security concerns.
Brussels’ investigation into TikTok Lite marks the second one by the bloc as it leans into the Digital Services Act, a new law that allows it to regulate online platforms. In February, the EU said it would look into the ByteDance-owned company’s breach of online content rules, which also concerned the safety of children.
TikTok is just one of many social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X, that are required to comply with the DSA, which took effect last August.
The EU’s scrutiny of TikTok Lite is yet another example of how the bloc plans to prioritize minors’ safety online. It could be the tip of the iceberg on the slew of potential actions against social media companies, given the EU’s new DSA weapon.
It’s unclear why TikTok didn’t provide the requested information, but if it doesn’t comply with the European Commission’s request for data, it could see its newest venture stumble before it even takes off.
