Chinese short-form video platform TikTok [AP Yonhap News file photo] 

Chinese short-form video platform TikTok is at risk of facing massive fines in the European Union (EU) for failing to comply with child protection standards.

In a statement released on the 24th (local time), the European Commission stated that it has determined TikTok is in violation of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), noting that "TikTok excessively exposes minors' accounts and content, whereas these accounts should have the strongest safety and security settings by default."

The EU pointed out in its preliminary investigation findings that by allowing minors to set their own accounts to 'public,' TikTok enables people without TikTok accounts to view the children's posts. It noted, "Such exposure can increase the risk of children having unwanted contact with potential predators and potentially subjects their posts to cyberbullying."

The Commission also highlighted issues regarding TikTok's algorithm, which recommends content posted by 16-to-17-year-olds to other users, as well as the fact that even private accounts are easily discoverable.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, emphasized, "Minors have the right to a safe environment when using the internet," adding, "The DSA requires platforms to incorporate protections for minors from the service design stage, and we will hold them accountable if they fail to do so."

TikTok is permitted to submit its response to the EU's preliminary findings. If it is ultimately concluded that the company has violated EU law, it could face fines of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover.

TikTok, operated by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, has over 200 million users in Europe. The Commission launched an investigation into TikTok in 2024 under the DSA—a key piece of EU legislation for regulating 'Big Tech'—and had previously demanded corrective actions in February, alleging that TikTok's "addictive design" violated the DSA.

Meanwhile, this EU action comes amid a growing movement across various European nations to introduce minimum age requirements for social media usage. Notably, France became the first EU country to pass legislation on the 21st prohibiting children under 15 from using social media.