By Martin Coulter
LONDON (Reuters) – Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok has announced a raft of new features for European users aimed at improving compliance with incoming European Union regulations.
Under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), TikTok’s owner ByteDance, Alphabet unit Google, other large online platforms will be required to police illegal content on their platforms, prohibit certain advertising practices, and share data with authorities.
But after TikTok agreed to a voluntary “stress test” last month, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said “more work” was needed for the firm to be fully compliant.
“TikTok is dedicating significant resources to compliance,” Breton told CNN. “Now it’s time to accelerate to be fully compliant.”
On Friday, the firm revealed new measures it had taken to comply with the DSA: making it easier for European users to report illegal content, allowing them to turn off personalised recommendations for videos and removing targeted advertising for users aged 13-17.
“We will continue to not only meet our regulatory obligations, but also strive to set new standards through innovative solutions,” the company said.
(Reporting by Martin Coulter; editing by Jason Neely)
