European Commission Charges TikTok With Violating Minor Privacy Rules

The European Commission issued preliminary findings on July 24, 2026, charging TikTok with violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to provide sufficient privacy and safety protections for minors. Regulators allege that the platform's design allows children's accounts to be public, making content visible to strangers and eligible for the For You feed, which increases the risk of cyberbullying, grooming, and predatory behavior.

Commission investigators noted that users aged 13 to 15 can easily switch accounts from private to public, while private accounts for those aged 16 to 17 remain visible to anyone on the internet. This regulatory action is part of formal proceedings launched in February 2024, which previously found that TikTok utilized an addictive design involving autoplay and infinite scrolling that could harm users' mental and physical health.

TikTok responded that it will review the findings and maintain a constructive dialogue with regulators. The company asserted that accounts for users under 18 are private by default and include more than 50 preset safety and privacy features. If TikTok fails to address the Commission's concerns, it faces a non-compliance decision and potential fines of up to 6% of its total global annual revenue.