Stop programs that induce you to stay glued to your cell phone screens forever. The social network TikTok has committed to permanently withdraw from the European Union the function of its new application, known as TikTok Lite, which rewards users for time spent on the screen with virtual coins to spend on other platforms. According to the European Union, this is the first important result of the new European digital legislation. TikTok, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance, had launched a controversial new service in France and Spain in recent months.
Brussels immediately sent an investigation, which led the Chinese company to suspend it in the EU on April 24, just a few weeks after its official launch. The European Commission considered that the mechanism posed “serious risks to the mental health of users”. Now comes the news of the agreement, in which the company commits to a withdrawal of this program that can generate high levels of digital addiction. “We have obtained the definitive withdrawal of the #TikTokLite reward program, which could have had highly addictive consequences,” said European Commissioner for Digital Thierry Breton on Monday on X. “The available brain time of young Europeans is not a bargaining chip for social networks,” added the former French minister.
A curb on digital addictions
The TikTokLite feature rewards users for watching videos or performing other actions, such as liking videos and following content creators. In return, the most active users earn virtual coins, which can then be exchanged for gift cards on partner sites of the video platform. In a statement, the European executive announced that any violation of the commitments undertaken by TikTok would be equivalent “immediately” to a violation of the Digital Services Regulation and could therefore lead to fines.
Under the Digital Services Act, very large online platforms are required to carry out a risk assessment and submit a report to the Commission services before launching any new functionality that could have a critical impact on “systemic risks” and must take effective mitigating measures to address the risks identified. In the case of this program, TikTok had not submitted a risk assessment report, which led to the initiation of the procedure and then to today’s decision.
First victory for the Digital services act
According to Brussels, the social network has also committed “not to launch any other program that could circumvent the withdrawal”. EU officials also stressed the group’s willingness to work “constructively” with the European Commission. For its part, the company said through a spokesperson that the controversial function had already been suspended “voluntarily” by the group. “Today’s decision sends a clear message to the entire social media sector”, said European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. Brussels is calling this a significant success for the European Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to regulate online content by forcing major platforms to comply with the law and cooperate with regulators.
TikTok to Leave EU If It Doesn’t Accept Brussels Control
On July 17, the Court of Justice of the European Union rejected TikTok’s appeal, ruling that the social network must comply with EU rules on digital services and accept the European Commission’s monitoring of its services, otherwise it risks heavy fines or even being banned. The Luxembourg court said in its appeal that ByteDance had not sufficiently substantiated its arguments. The court also highlighted TikTok’s sharp increase in popularity, which has put it on the same level as rivals Meta Platforms and Alphabet.
