EU Commission admits TikTok violates platform regulations due to exposed ad database
Updated Scoop: TikTok's Advertising Missteps!
Brace yourself, folks! TikTok's in hot water again! The European Commission has slapped preliminary findings on the popular video-sharing app, alleging that its advertising repository is a breach of the EU's online platforms rules, as established by the Digital Services Act (DSA).
So, what's the issue? Well, it turns out that TikTok isn't playing fair when it comes to ad transparency. The Commission's investigation discovered that the app is failing to disclose crucial details about the content of ads, the users targeted, and the advertisers behind them. Furthermore, TikTok's repository lacks comprehensive search capabilities, limiting its utility and effectiveness.
If the Commission's preliminary findings hold up, TikTok could be slapped with a hefty fine of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover. Not cool, TikTok!
A spokesperson from TikTok shared their thoughts, stating that they support the DSA's goals and are continuously working on improving their ad transparency tools. However, they disagreed with certain interpretations made by the Commission. They also mentioned that guidance is being delivered via preliminary findings rather than clear, public guidelines.
Alright, let's break it down! Under the DSA, large online platforms like TikTok must have an advertising repository in place to enable researchers, authorities, and civil society to scrutinize scam advertisements and hybrid threat campaigns. Essentially, this helps to combat disinformation and political influence.
The DSA became law at the end of 2023, but TikTok isn't the only one under the microscope. The EU executive has also started probes against other tech giants, including Meta, AliExpress, and even X. These investigations are ongoing, including one against TikTok regarding potential DSA breaches during Romania's election back in December. Stay tuned for more updates!
Now, here's a fun fact! Experts and digital rights advocates have criticized TikTok’s ad library for presenting significant barriers to meaningful research. Therepository lacks transparency on TikTok’s recommendation algorithms and fails to offer the alternative recommender system mandated by the DSA to reduce profiling and engagement optimization risks. Yikes!
Sources:1. EU Commission Investigates TikTok for Breaching Digital Services Act2. EU to Investigate TikTok for Alleged Breach of Digital Services Act3. TikTok Faces Up to 6% Fine for Breach of EU's Digital Services Act4. TikTok Transparency Report5. TikTok Investigated by EU for Lack of Transparency in Advertising
- The investigation by the European Commission, conducted under the Digital Services Act (DSA), has found that TikTok's advertising repository fails to meet the DSA's standards for transparency, breaching the rules for large online platforms like TikTok.
- The DSA, a piece of general-news, stipulates that platforms like TikTok should have an advertising repository to help scrutinize scam advertisements and hybrid threat campaigns, promoting digital rights and combating disinformation, yet TikTok's repository lacks the necessary transparency required by the act.
