TikTok withdraws ‘Lite’ rewards program from EU to adhere to Digital Services Act

TikTok has agreed to withdraw its “Lite” rewards program from the European Union (EU) to comply with the bloc’s stringent Digital Services Act (DSA), according to an announcement from the European Commission on Monday. This decision follows a directive from the EU, which raised concerns about the potential impacts of TikTok Lite’s reward features on user behavior, especially among younger audiences.

TikTok Lite’s rewards program was designed to incentivize user engagement by offering points for activities such as viewing videos, liking posts, following creators, and inviting friends to join the platform. However, the EU expressed immediate concerns about these features when the app was introduced in France and Spain earlier this year. The European Commission’s apprehensions were centered around the potential risks such rewards could pose to children’s mental health and overall user experience.

In accordance with the DSA, which mandates that large online platforms must assess and report potential risks associated with new features before launching them, TikTok was required to evaluate and address these risks proactively. The EU’s regulatory framework demands that online platforms implement effective measures to mitigate any identified risks.

As a result of the investigation, TikTok has made legally binding commitments to permanently remove the rewards program from the EU market and refrain from introducing any similar initiatives that could circumvent this decision. The European Commission has made it clear that any failure to comply with these commitments could lead to significant penalties, as such breaches would constitute violations of the DSA.

In addition to this development, the European Commission is still investigating whether TikTok has violated rules related to online content protection for children and the transparency of advertising. This investigation, initiated in February, could potentially result in further fines if TikTok is found to have breached these regulations.