ByteDance's TikTok has decided to permanently remove its TikTok Lite rewards program from the EU in response to the Digital Services Act (DSA), according to the European Commission on Monday.
TikTok Lite's 'Reward Programme' enables users to accumulate points by completing specific activities on the platform, such as viewing videos, liking content, following creators, or inviting friends to join. The EU requested an immediate risk assessment from TikTok in April, shortly after the app's launch in France and Spain, due to concerns about its potential effects on children and users' mental health.
Under the DSA, major online platforms must notify the EU of potential risks associated with new features before their launch and must implement effective measures to mitigate these risks. The EU's executive body stated that TikTok has now made legally binding commitments to withdraw the rewards program from the EU and not to introduce any other programs that would circumvent this decision.
'Any violation of these commitments would immediately constitute a breach of the DSA and could result in fines,' the commission noted. Additionally, an ongoing investigation into whether TikTok has violated online content rules designed to protect children and ensure transparent advertising remains in progress. This investigation, initiated in February, poses a significant risk of hefty fines for the social media platform.
