TikTok responds to EU ultimatum over new rewards-for-views app

Wed, Apr 24, 2024
By editor
2 MIN READ

Tech

A European Commission spokesman on Tuesday confirmed it received a reply from TikTok to provide within 24 hours an assessment of mental health risks related to its new app, TikTok Lite.

According to officials, Monday’s legally-binding order concerning the new app’s rewards scheme, which allows users to collect points by watching videos and exchange them for things of value, such as Amazon vouchers

The commission wants to know how the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform assessed the addictiveness and mental health risks of the scheme, particularly for children, prior to launch.

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) requires large platforms to assess and mitigate such risks.

“We can confirm that we received a reply from TikTok,” a commission spokesman said . He said the EU executive will now “assess the response and decide on potential next steps.”

The commission initially requested the information on April 17, with a non-binding deadline the following day.

The Commission’s officials said TikTok responded to that request by telling them it had carried out a risk assessment, but that it could not share the document. The commission then followed-up with a binding order on Monday.

A TikTok spokeswoman told dpa that this was because the company had asked the commission for more time.

In a statement, the company said TikTok Lite’s rewards scheme is not available to minors, and has a daily limit on the number of videos that can be watched for a reward.

TikTok Lite had its European launch in France and Spain this month. (dpa/NAN)

F.A

April 24, 2024

Tags:


Global leaders, tech bosses in Paris to debate AI’s future

WORLD leaders, tech bosses, academics and other experts gathered in Paris on Monday for a two-day summit on the threats...

Read More
How Fintechs must prioritise cybersecurity to build trust – PalmPay

MR. Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing and Communications, PalmPay, has emphasised the urgent need for fintech companies to strengthen their...

Read More
Expert urges FG to digitalise civil service for efficiency

DR. Gabriel Akinremi, a Data Privacy and Protection Expert, has urged the Federal Government to digitalise the civil service for...

Read More