EU Launches Investigation into TikTok for Child Safety and Content Concerns

The European Union has launched a formal investigation into TikTok's compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on areas such as the protection of minors, advertising transparency, and risk management of addictive design and harmful content. The investigation follows concerns over TikTok's approach to content governance and safety, with potential penalties for confirmed breaches reaching up to 6% of global annual turnover. The EU is also assessing whether TikTok is fulfilling DSA requirements related to systemic risks, age verification tools, and providing researchers with access to platform data. The investigation will be conducted by the Commission without prejudice to the outcome, and it's the second such proceeding under the DSA, following the probe on Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) in December.