EU Accuses Tiktok of Failing to Safeguard Minors' Privacy

WHO:

Reuters - The European Commission is involved in the findings against TikTok.

ABC News - TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is the subject of the EU's accusations.

WHAT:

Fast Company - The European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated, "Children's content must never be visible to strangers," emphasizing the risks of exposure to predators and cyberbullying.

Fast Company - The commission estimates that most of TikTok's 170 million users in the EU are children, with 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spending four to five hours daily on the app.

Fast Company - If TikTok does not adequately respond to the findings, the European Commission could issue a non-compliance decision and impose a fine of up to 6% of the company's total annual revenue.

Reuters - The EU Commission's preliminary findings indicate that TikTok's accounts for minors violate the Digital Services Act (DSA).

ABC News - TikTok has been found to inadequately protect children's privacy rights by allowing adults to view the accounts of minors.

WHERE:

Reuters - The findings are related to TikTok's operations within the European Union.

WHY:

Reuters - The EU Commission cites design features of TikTok that could expose children to bullying and predators as a reason for the violation.

HOW:

Reuters - The violation is attributed to specific features of TikTok that fail to safeguard minors' privacy.

(UPDATED July 24, 2026 15:28 UTC)

The European Commission is raising concerns about children's safety on TikTok, with spokesperson Thomas Regnier stating that "children's content must never be visible to strangers" to protect against predators and cyberbullying. The commission estimates that a significant portion of TikTok's 170 million users in the EU are children, noting that 7% of those aged 12 to 15 spend four to five hours daily on the app. If TikTok fails to address these findings adequately, the European Commission could issue a non-compliance decision and impose a fine of up to 6% of the company's total annual revenue.

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(UPDATED July 24, 2026 11:31 UTC)

The European Commission has announced preliminary findings against TikTok, owned by ByteDance, regarding violations of the Digital Services Act. The EU claims that TikTok inadequately protects children's privacy rights by allowing adults to view the accounts of minors, which could expose them to bullying and predators. These findings specifically address TikTok's operations within the European Union and highlight design features that fail to safeguard the privacy of young users.