privacy
Life-threatening content – EU Commission warns Tiktok
Tiktok belongs to the Chinese Bytedance group. photo
© Omar Marques/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
A Tiktok ban has been threatened in the USA for years. Now an EU Commissioner is reminding the video platform that breaches of the rules in Europe can soon be punished with an end.
The EU Commission has threatened the popular video service Tiktok with serious consequences if European rules are violated. It is unacceptable that users of apparently funny and harmless functions can access dangerous and sometimes even life-threatening content within seconds, stressed EU Commissioner Thierry Breton on Thursday. He was also concerned about allegations that journalists were being spied on and that personal data was being transferred to locations outside Europe. In a reaction, Tiktok pledged to comply with European laws.
He “signaled very clearly to Tiktok boss Shou Zi Chew that it is necessary to do more to ensure compliance with EU legislation on data protection, copyright and online platforms,” Breton said after a conversation with the manager.
He specifically referred to the new EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which will set strict rules for online platforms from 1 September this year. “The DSA provides for deterrent sanctions, including a ban on repeated serious violations that threaten the life or safety of people,” emphasized the EU Commissioner. A Tiktok spokesman said the conversation didn’t mention a ban.
Dangerous dares
At Tiktok, courage tests are regularly circulated that can be dangerous – such as the “Blackout Challenge”, which involved holding your breath until you lose consciousness. Breton pointed out that platforms with many young users have a special responsibility.
The video platform Tiktok, which belongs to the Chinese group Bytedance, has been accused of insufficient data security and inadequate protection of young users for some time. Tiktok denies that. A spokesman pointed out, among other things, that European user data would be stored in Ireland from this year and the flow of data outside of Europe would be minimized.
In the United States, President Donald Trump had already threatened to ban Tiktok in the country. He pointed to concerns that Chinese authorities could use Tiktok data to gather information about Americans. Joe Biden’s government is also putting pressure on the service. The “Wall Street Journal” recently reported that Tiktok had presented Washington with a plan for a far-reaching restructuring of the US business in order to remain active in the USA.