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TikTok under pressure after the introduction of data access last moth
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The Commission says it has discussed TikTok’s readiness for new EU rules
BRUSSELS, Jan 10 (Reuters) – TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on a visit to Brussels on Tuesday sought to reassure the European Union that the app respects technology rules and commitments ever stricter block for children’s privacy and safety.
The short video app, which is owned by Chinese tech conglomerate ByteDance, has worked for the past three years to counter US concerns about whether its citizens’ personal data can be accessed and the -its content is manipulated by the Communist Party of China or any other entity under the Influence of Beijing.
Pressure on the company has increased following its admission last month that some of its employees improperly accessed the TikTok user data of two journalists to try to identify the source of leaks. of information to the media.
Compared to rivals Meta and Twitter, TikTok has a relatively low profile with regulators in the 27-country bloc.
But that could change as strict technology rules come into effect in the coming months to curtail the power of Big Tech and require online platforms to do more to police the internet for illegal content.
Chew’s series of meetings in Brussels began with EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager.
“The purpose of the meeting with TikTok was to review how the company is preparing to comply with its obligations under the European Commission regulation, namely the Digital Services Act (DSA) and possibly under the -Digital Markets Act (DMA),” the EU executive. he said in a statement.
“At the meeting the parties also discussed the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and privacy issues and data transfer obligations with reference to the recent press reporting on the harvest and aggressive data surveillance in the United States,” she said.
Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova listed her concerns to Chew, including the protection of Europeans’ personal data, the safety of children and the spread of Russian disinformation on the platform. as well as the transparency of political advertising.
“I count on TikTok to fully execute its commitments to go the extra mile to respect EU law and regain the trust of European regulators,” she said in a statement after the meeting.
EU justice chief Didier Reynders told Chew that TikTok could do more to remove hateful content on its platform.
Tiktok said it is committed to complying with EU rules in a transparent manner.
“It is a top priority for us to be ready for this,” his vice-president for public policy, Europe, Theo Bertram, said in a tweet. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Barbara Lewis)
