TikTok Lite ditches ‘addictive as cigarettes’ feature under EU investigation

The EU Cracks Down on TikTok’s Reward Feature

Europe’s digital commissioner has officially put the brakes on a TikTok feature labeled as “toxic” and “addictive as cigarettes.” ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, announced the suspension of the reward-to-watch feature on TikTok Lite, following concerns raised by the EU Commission. This move came on the same day President Biden signed a bill pressuring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations or risk a ban.

TikTok Lite’s Reward System Suspended

TikTok Lite, a recently launched version in France and Spain, allowed users to earn rewards by watching and liking videos. These rewards could be traded for real-world perks such as Amazon vouchers or in-app currency for tipping creators. The EU Commission expressed worries that this “task and reward” feature could fuel addictive behavior among children.

EU commissioner Thierry Breton took to Twitter to declare, “Our children are not guinea pigs for social media.” While acknowledging TikTok’s move to suspend the reward program in the EU, he cautioned that investigations into TikTok’s platform addictiveness would persist.

EU Cracks Down on Social Media Giants

Breton had previously cautioned ByteDance about breaching the Digital Services Act, which empowers significant alterations in social media platforms to safeguard consumers. Under this legislation, the EU can impose fines of up to six percent of global revenues on non-compliant companies. The suspension of TikTok Lite’s reward functions marks the EU’s first use of the DSA to enforce changes on a social platform.

This investigation into TikTok Lite is the second probe targeting the platform this year, with a previous case focusing on privacy and safety concerns for minors. TikTok announced the voluntary suspension of the rewards functions in TikTok Lite to address regulators’ worries.