The European Commission has preliminarily charged TikTok with a violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), finding that the video-sharing app does not guarantee an adequate level of security for minors' accounts. According to Brussels, "TikTok's settings continue to expose them to risks, including unwanted contact, cyberbullying or predatory behaviour." If the charges are confirmed, the Commission may impose a fine of up to 6% of the company's annual global turnover.
The EU executive notes that minors can choose to set their account as "public," making content visible even to users without a TikTok account. This setting also allows content posted by "older" minors (aged 16-17) to be recommended to other TikTok users via the "For You" feed. The Commission further observes that, even with accounts set to private, minors' profiles can easily be found through other users' "following" and "follower" lists, while their profile pictures remain accessible to anyone. The EU executive therefore considers that TikTok's account settings do not meet the privacy, security and data protection standards that platforms accessible to minors must guarantee in accordance with the DSA.
The Commission preliminarily considers that TikTok should modify the default settings of minors' accounts by restricting content visibility by default to users accepted by the account holder. Brussels also requests that content posted by "older" minors should not be accessible to audiences outside the platform. TikTok should furthermore refrain from recommending minors' content to other platform users via the "For You" feed. The preliminary findings are based on an in-depth investigation that included an analysis of TikTok's interface, data and internal documents, as well as interviews with law enforcement officials and experts in the fields of child protection, child abuse and neuropsychology. The findings do not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation. TikTok will now be able to consult the investigation files and submit written observations. The investigation, launched on 19 February 2024, covers several strands, including addictive design, access to public data for researchers, the "rabbit hole" effect of TikTok's recommendation systems, and age verification mechanisms. The strand on advertising transparency was closed through binding commitments in December 2025, while the others are still ongoing.
TikTok: 'Child protection is our goal, we are committed to improving it'
"On TikTok, younger users' accounts have, from the moment they are created, over 50 pre-set privacy and safety features. Protecting minors online is a goal we share, and we remain committed to continuously improving the measures we take to protect them. We will review these preliminary findings and continue to engage constructively with the Commission." This was stated by a TikTok spokesperson commenting on the charges brought by the European executive under the DSA.
EU sources: 'Progress from TikTok on minors, but the system is easy to circumvent'
The security settings introduced by TikTok for minors' accounts represent a step in the right direction, but remain too easy to circumvent. This is the argument put forward by a senior EU official in support of the preliminary findings notified to the platform today. According to Brussels, the settings do not guarantee the level of protection required by Article 28 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires online platforms to ensure a high level of safety, privacy and protection of minors in their services. The assessment also takes into account the European guidelines on the protection of minors, adopted by the Commission last year. TikTok automatically sets the accounts of users between 13 and 15 years old to private, while teenagers between 16 and 17 are given the choice between a public or private profile from the moment they register. Brussels acknowledges that the first measure represents a step forward, noting that it "would never have been introduced without the DSA." However, according to the EU executive, the protection remains insufficient because the private profile can be made public with extreme ease and the overall design of the platform continues to expose minors to risks.
In the Commission's crosshairs are profile visibility, follower lists and content recommendation systems. Even with a private account, there are several ways in which a minor can increase their exposure on the platform. "It is not a single element," the official notes, "but the combined effect of design choices." For Brussels, the case also highlights the tension between the obligations set out in the DSA and the social network's business model. The "For You" feed, the official explains, is the engine of the platform's engagement and growth: limiting the spread and recommendation of content posted by minors would affect the very functioning of the service. "There is a business case behind these choices," the official stresses, adding: "these are gaps in the safety net that should instead be designed with teenage accounts in mind."
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