TikTok pulls rewards programme EU warned could make children app addicts
And Videos, Creators Liking To The Friends Tiktok Platform Programme The Join Points To Allowed Rewards Watching Content, Inviting By Users Lite Earn Following
The European Union closed a case against ByteDance Ltd’s TikTok after the Chinese social media giant pulled a controversial feature that regulators warned could be addictive for children.
The bloc’s executive arm said ByteDance committed to permanently withdraw its controversial rewards programme on its Lite app from the EU to comply with the bloc’s tough new Digital Services Act.
TikTok also pledged not to launch any other programme rewarding screen time and carrying risks of addiction for users, which would circumvent the withdrawal.
“The available brain time of young Europeans is not a currency for social media — and it never will be,” Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for the internal market, said in an emailed statement.
“We have obtained the permanent withdrawal” of the programme, “which could have had very addictive consequences. The DSA effect kicks in.”
TikTok is coming under scrutiny across the world as its influence grows and amid fears over its Chinese origins. US president Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation in April aimed at banning the video-sharing app in the US unless its Chinese owner cedes control. That legislation breezed through both chambers of Congress, and ultimately led to TikTok challenging the legality of the bill.
The TikTok Lite rewards programme allowed users to earn points by watching videos, liking content, following creators and inviting friends to join the platform. It was made available in France and Spain.
Monday’s move is the first case the Brussels-based European Commission has closed under the Digital Services Act.
The executive has formal proceedings open against X, Meta Platforms Inc and Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress under the law in force since almost a year ago, which lays out content rules for social media platforms, online market places and app stores.
TikTok said it always sought to engage constructively with the commission and other regulators and had “now withdrawn” the programme it “had already voluntarily suspended.”
Another case against TikTok remains open as the investigation continues. That focuses on the assessment of future negative effects that may stimulate addictions or create so-called rabbit-hole effects.