TikTok has agreed to permanently withdraw its TikTok Lite Rewards program from the EU in order to comply with the Digital Services Act. This decision was made by the Commission, which had opened formal proceedings against TikTok on April 22. The commitments made by TikTok include withdrawing the program permanently and agreeing not to launch any similar programs in the future to bypass the withdrawal.
These commitments are now legally binding, and any violation of them would be considered a breach of the Digital Services Act, potentially leading to fines. With this development, the Commission has closed the formal proceedings that were initiated against TikTok in April.
This is the first case under the Digital Services Act that the Commission has closed after 105 days of opening the proceedings. It is also the first time that the Commission has accepted commitments from an online platform against which formal proceedings were initiated under the DSA.
Moving forward, the Commission will closely monitor TikTok’s compliance with the commitments it has made under the Digital Services Act. The investigation into TikTok’s activities, which began on February 19, is still ongoing.
TikTok Lite is a new version of the popular app that was launched in Spain and France in April 2024. The Commission had raised concerns about the TikTok Lite Rewards program, which allowed users to earn points by completing various tasks on the platform. The Commission was worried about the potential addictive nature of the program and its impact on the physical and mental health of users, especially minors.
Under the Digital Services Act, Very Large Online Platforms are required to conduct a risk assessment and submit a report to the Commission before introducing new features that could have significant risks. They must also implement measures to mitigate any identified risks. Since TikTok did not provide a risk assessment report before launching TikTok Lite, the Commission initiated formal proceedings against the platform in April.
As of now, formal proceedings are ongoing against several other platforms under the Digital Services Act, including X, AliExpress, and Meta. The Commission continues to enforce the provisions of the DSA to ensure the safety and well-being of online users.
For more information on the TikTok Lite case and the Digital Services Act, you can refer to the summary note of the TikTok Lite opening decision and the enforcement framework under the DSA. The DSA aims to regulate online platforms and protect users from potential harms associated with digital services.
