Italy's Antitrust Authority has fined
video-sharing social media app TikTok 10 million euro for
failing to adequately protect minors from potentially harmful
content, it said in a statement on Thursday.
"The controls by the company on the content circulating on the
platform are inadequate, particularly in relation to content
that may threaten the safety of minors and vulnerable
individuals," said the watchdog.
In addition, "this content is systematically re-proposed to
users following their algorithmic profiling, stimulating
ever-greater use of the social network," it added.
The fine has been levied against three companies belonging to
the Chinese-owned group Bytedance, the owner of TikTok: the
Irish TikTok Technology Limited, the British TikTok Information
Technologies UK Limited and the Italian TikTok Italy Srl.
It comes after the antitrust authority in February ordered
TikTok to remove some videos showing young people performing the
so-called 'French scar' challenge involving pinching the cheek
to leave a lasting bruise on the cheekbone and opened a probe.
The watchdog said on Thursday that the investigation has made it
possible to ascertain TikTok's responsibility in the
dissemination of content such as that relating to the 'French
scar' challenge that could threaten the psycho-physical safety
of users, especially minors and vulnerable people.
Moreover, it alleged that the social media platform did not take
adequate measures to prevent the dissemination of such content,
failing to comply with its own published guidelines.
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