The EU’s industry chief, Thierry Breton, is set to seek information from Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGLYouTube and ByteDance-owned TikTok regarding their child protection policies. This move is part of a wider effort to ensure the tech giants align with new EU regulations.
What Happened: According to a Reuters report, the inquiry was prompted by Breton’s dialogue with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about mitigating disinformation on the platform. Breton is expected to pose his questions to the companies on Thursday.
Previously, in October, Breton set a deadline for TikTok to provide specifics on its measures for protecting election integrity and children by Nov. 8. Breton also urged Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai to uphold Google’s obligation to shield young EU users from violent content.
The new EU regulations, known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), require big tech companies to ramp up their efforts against harmful and illegal online content, particularly those targeting minors.
The DSA also necessitates companies to enhance transparency about their algorithmic processes and take more forceful action against illegal and unsafe products sold on their platforms.
Non-compliance with DSA could lead to fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover.
Why It Matters: The EU’s demand comes amidst growing global concerns about the safety of children on social media platforms.
Earlier this week, it was reported that a former engineer of Meta Platforms Inc. META testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee about the tech giant’s knowledge of the risks teens face on its platforms and its insufficient protective measures.
Moreover, the U.K. government had previously urged Meta to prioritize child safety over encryption on Instagram and Facebook Messenger following the passage of the Online Safety Bill. The move highlighted concerns about potential risks to children from sexual abuse.
Image: Shutterstock/ Sergei Elagin
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