Nicosia: Today, the European Commission issued a critical assessment of TikTok, highlighting that the platform's accounts for minors fall short of the safety standards mandated by the Digital Services Act (DSA).
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Commission's preliminary findings indicate that minors on TikTok can set their accounts to 'public', which permits any user, even those without a TikTok account, to view their content. This setting also allows content from older minors, aged 16-17, to be recommended to other TikTok users through the For You Feed. Such exposure raises concerns about unwanted contact from potential perpetrators and the risk of content being used for cyberbullying, potentially leading to lifelong consequences for the minors involved.
Even when minors opt for private accounts, their visibility remains a concern. Their accounts can be discovered through the 'following' and 'followers' lists of other users, and their profile photos are accessible to anyone, including non-TikTok users. The Commission emphasized that TikTok's account settings expose minors to risks such as unwanted contact, cyberbullying, and predatory behavior, failing to ensure the high level of privacy, safety, and security required under the DSA.
The European Commission has also initiated a public consultation on the draft of new Guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring non-financial undertakings in difficulty. These guidelines aim to align existing regulations with current social, market, and technological conditions, with the consultation open until September 2026.
In another significant development, the Commission disbursed £1.5 billion in Macro-Financial Assistance to Egypt, part of a larger £4 billion program to support Egypt's economic reform agenda. This financial aid aims to ease Egypt's external financial pressures and promote macroeconomic stability.
Additionally, the European Commission welcomed the Council's recent adoption of a proposal reinstating an interim derogation from the e-Privacy Directive to combat online child sexual abuse. This framework allows online service providers to voluntarily detect and report child sexual abuse until April 2028, amidst a significant rise in reports of new material due to AI misuse.
Furthermore, the Commission proposed mobilizing £410,310 from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to support workers dismissed by Valmet Automotive in Finland, following a downturn in the global automotive sector.
In Luxembourg, a £54 million State aid scheme was approved to assist road transport and rail freight companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis. This aid will cover up to 70% of additional fuel costs incurred in 2026.
Finally, the European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into capital injections into PostNord Str¥lfors A/S to assess compliance with EU State aid rules, following a complaint about State aid received by the company.
The Commission also approved the acquisition of sole control of Germany's Scholz Group by France's Derichebourg Environnement SAS, concluding that the transaction would not raise competition concerns.
For further details, more information is available on the Commission's competition website.