European Union regulators on Monday threatened to fine TikTok over potentially addictive features on a version of its app called TikTok Lite, which was released to work more smoothly on slower wireless networks.
investigation adds to TikTok’s regulatory challenges as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would order the app’s owner, the Chinese internet company ByteDance, to sell TikTok or be banned.
The company is under growing pressure for its links to China, data collection practices and potentially harmful effects on children.
They said the features created a financial incentive to spend more time on the app, creating risks for addiction and mental health issues, particularly for children.
investigation against TikTok, along with another inquiry focused on a lack of effective age-verification protections and addictive design features.
Persons:
TikTok
Organizations:
U.S, Senate, TikTok
Locations:
China, Europe