Unveiling TikTok's Advertising Infractions: The EU Commission's Stand
TikTok Violates Advertising Regulations, According to EU Commission
The European Commission, in a preliminary assessment, has flagged TikTok for flouting EU digital rules due to its murky advertising practices, potentially landing the popular social media platform in hot water.
The Heart of the Matter: TikTok, the Chinese-owned platform, isn't being completely transparent about the content of ads on its platform, putting it at risk of hefty fines. The Brussels authority points out that such transparency is essential for researchers and civil society to uncover deceptive advertising, manipulation, and fake ads.
But here's the catch—TikTok doesn't publish an ad registry, and the existing ad archive on the platform is limited in its search capabilities, making it less effective for external scrutiny.
TikTok's Troubles Mount
The social media company has been served a warning and could face fines equivalent to up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The EU Commission's claims are based on an investigation that delved into internal company documents, tested TikTok tools, and consulted experts in the field.
The platform isn't the only one facing scrutiny—several proceedings are underway against US billionaire Elon Musk's platform X in the EU for suspected DSA violations. The law also aims to tackle hate speech proliferation. Investigations into breaches of the DSA are also ongoing in Brussels for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
Fun Fact: While TikTok is under fire, Facebook and its sister company, Instagram, are also受 probe by the EU Commission for potential violations of the DSA.
Sources: ntv.de, jog/dpa
- TikTok
- EU Commission
- Social Media
- China
- EU
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Elon Musk
- Brussels
- The Commission is proposing to extend the deadline for the submission of proposals from various industries, including technology, finance, and business, to the Council, in light of the ongoing investigations involving social media platforms like TikTok and Meta (Facebook and Instagram).
- Politics and general news outlets have been reporting on the EU Commission's clampdown on social media platforms, with TikTok being the latest company faced with potential policy-and-legislation penalties for opacity in advertising practices.
- With TikTok under scrutiny for its lack of transparency in ad practices, other industry leaders like Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) are also under investigation for Digital Services Act (DSA) violations in the EU.
- The Commission's initiative to enforce transparency in advertising on social media platforms could have significant implications for the entire industry, affecting not only the Chinese-owned TikTok but also US-based companies like X and Meta.
- As the EU Commission takes a firm stand against digital rule breaches, it becomes increasingly crucial for businesses, including those in the technology, finance, and entertainment sectors, to comply with policy-and-legislation requirements to avoid potential fines and maintain credibility.
