The European Union (EU) has officially launched an investigation into TikTok, accusing the popular video-sharing app of violating obligations to protect minors online.

This move comes under the recently enacted Digital Services Act (DSA) and marks the second major probe into online platforms following the scrutiny of Elon Musk’s X in December.

The EU is particularly focused on concerns that TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, may not be adequately addressing the potential negative impacts on young users.

A significant concern revolves around the “rabbit hole” effect, where users are exposed to potentially more dangerous content through algorithmically recommended related content.

The EU is particularly worried about TikTok’s age verification tools, expressing doubts about their reasonability, proportionality, and effectiveness.

The Commission has initiated formal proceedings to investigate potential breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA) by TikTok.

This includes examining areas such as “advertising transparency” and “data access for researchers.”

The decision to investigate was prompted by an in-depth analysis of TikTok’s risk assessment report and its responses to Brussels’ inquiries about actions taken against illegal content, measures for protecting minors, and data access.

The commission emphasizes its commitment to ongoing evidence collection, asserting the authority to implement further enforcement actions if deemed essential.

EU I ternam market commissioner, Thierry Breton said “As a platform that reaches millions of children and teenagers, TikTok must fully comply with the DSA and has a particular role to play in the protection of minors online.

“We are launching this formal infringement proceeding today to ensure that proportionate action is taken to protect the physical and emotional well-being of young Europeans. We must spare no effort to protect our children,”

TikTok’s monthly user base in the European Union has risen to over 142 million, marking an increase from 125 million reported last year.

Commission executive vice president Margrethe Vestager emphasized that TikTok must thoroughly assess the risks associated with its services for users of all ages.

The formal investigation will concentrate on four key areas: TikTok’s assessment and mitigation of systemic risks, compliance with measures to protect minors’ privacy and safety, the creation of a “reliable” advertisement repository, and efforts to enhance transparency.

In response, TikTok stated its commitment to working on online protection measures for minors.

A TikTok spokesperson said “TikTok has pioneered features and settings to protect teens and keep under 13s off the platform, issues the whole industry is grappling with.

“We’ll continue to work with experts and industry to keep young people on TikTok safe, and look forward to now having the opportunity to explain this work in detail to the Commission.

The proceedings have no set deadline for completion.

Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), Brussels possesses the authority to impose substantial fines, reaching up to six percent of a digital firm’s global revenues for violations.

In cases of serious and repeated breaches, the commission holds the power to block platforms in the 27-nation bloc.

This EU law, effective since last year, applies to major online platforms globally, including TikTok, X, Facebook, and Instagram.