TikTok will better distinguish advertisements
TikTok must make clearer from the European Commission and European consumer protection organizations which content is advertising and which is not. The Chinese video platform has been reprimanded for this. The social network has promised to take measures.
The European Commission writes this in a press statement.
Children not properly protected from inappropriate content
The executive board of the EU, the European Bureau of Consumer Associations (BEUC) and TikTok have been in talks for more than a year. The interest group of European consumers believes that the Chinese social network is acting in violation of European consumer rules. For example, children are insufficiently protected against inappropriate content, and there is no clear distinction between commercial and non-commercial content.
In response to this complaint, the European Commission, together with the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) and the Irish and Swedish Consumer Authority, has discussed these issues with TikTok. TikTok takes the complaints seriously and is going to change course to better protect the youngest users.
TikTok takes these measures
For starters, users may report videos that may encourage or mislead children into purchasing products or services. Inappropriate products for children – such as alcohol, cigarettes or crypto coins – are no longer shown to children. Users who upload sponsored videos will be asked to mark them with hashtags like #ad or #sponsored. And paid ads in videos are getting a new label.
The CPC will monitor whether TikTok adheres to the new rules. National privacy regulators check that the new policies and practices do not conflict
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