Aug 6, 2026

EU Charges TikTok Over Children's Online Safety Under the Digital Services Act

The EU has charged TikTok under the Digital Services Act over children's online safety, raising concerns about platform accountability and user protection.

The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that TikTok may have breached the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to provide adequate privacy and safety protections for children using the platform. The findings form part of an ongoing investigation into whether TikTok's account settings and platform design expose minors to unnecessary online risks.

According to the Commission, children are able to choose public account settings that make their profiles and content visible to anyone, including users who do not have a TikTok account. The Commission also noted that content posted by older minors, particularly those aged 16 and 17, may be recommended to other users through TikTok's "For You" feed. Even where accounts are set to private, the Commission found that children may still be identifiable through followers and following lists, making it easier for strangers to discover their accounts. It considers that these features increase the risk of unwanted contact, cyberbullying and other forms of online harm.

A key aspect of the Commission's findings relates to the principle of privacy by default, which is reflected in the DSA's Guidelines on the Protection of Minors. Rather than requiring children to actively change their privacy settings, the Commission's preliminary view is that platforms should automatically provide the highest level of protection. It stated that content published by minors should, by default, only be visible to users whom the child has approved and should not be recommended to a wider audience through content recommendation systems such as the "For You" feed.

The investigation focuses on TikTok's compliance with the DSA's obligations for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). Under the regulation, designated platforms are required to assess and mitigate systemic risks arising from the design and operation of their services, particularly where those risks affect children's safety, privacy and fundamental rights. The Commission's findings suggest that TikTok's current account configuration and content recommendation mechanisms do not meet these requirements.

If the preliminary findings are confirmed, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover and may also be required to implement changes to its platform to comply with the Digital Services Act.

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