EU Accuses TikTok of Failing to Protect Minors' Privacy and Safety
The European Commission accused TikTok of violating the Digital Services Act by failing to adequately protect minors' privacy and safety, allowing their content to be accessible to non-users and exposed to potential predators and cyberbullying. The Commission has given TikTok an opportunity to respond and threatened a fine of up to 6 percent of annual revenue if violations are not remedied.
What happened
The European Commission accused TikTok on 24 July 2026 of failing to protect minors' privacy and safety under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission stated that TikTok's minor accounts do not prevent content published by minors from reaching 'potential perpetrators' or being used for cyberbullying.
The Commission found that minors can make their accounts public, allowing any user, even those without TikTok profiles, to view their content. Even when minors keep accounts private, they can be easily found through followers and following lists, and their profiles and photos remain accessible to any user without a TikTok account.
Reported impact
The Commission warned that public accounts expose minors' content to unknown users, creating risk of predatory behavior. It noted that content published by minors can remain on the internet permanently, carrying potential lifelong consequences.
The Commission cited risks of cyberbullying and harassment, and stated that the algorithmic recommendation of minors' content to other users through the 'For You' feed poses additional safety risks.
Index analysis
The Commission determined that TikTok's account design violates the DSA, which requires large platforms to provide special protection for minors online. The findings cited failures in default privacy settings and algorithmic recommendations for minor users aged 16-17.
Governance controls
The Commission directed TikTok to configure public accounts designed for minors so that published content is visible only to users who have accepted contact. For users aged 16 and 17, the Commission required TikTok to prevent access by users without accounts and to disable recommendation of their content through the 'For You' feature.
The Commission stated it could impose a fine of up to 6 percent of TikTok's annual global revenue if the company fails to address the violations. TikTok denied the allegations, stating that minor accounts include over 50 integrated privacy and security measures by default and that accounts for users under 18 are private by default.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.