TikTok Defends Safety Measures Amid EU Push for Teen Restrictions
TikTok is pushing back against intensifying scrutiny from the European Union, defending its platform’s safety measures as regional lawmakers prepare to heavily restrict children’s access to social media.
Ali Law, TikTok’s director of public policy and government affairs in Northern Europe, recently spoke on CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe, asserting that the social media giant was built using a "safety by design" approach.
"We’re really conscious of the concerns that both parents and policymakers have in this area," Law stated. "We want people to have a healthy and safe relationship with the app because of the amount of benefits that people can get when they’re using it."
The EU Takes Aim at "Predatory Algorithms"
This defense comes at a critical time. Governments worldwide are rapidly moving to regulate social media usage among young people. In December, Australia became the first country to legally enforce a youth ban, and nations including the U.K., France, Greece, and Spain have announced similar restrictions.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the region will be forging ahead with its own restrictions, including the exploration of strict age limits based on findings from a special panel on child safety online.
"We in Europe believe that parents bring up our kids, and not predatory algorithms," von der Leyen said. "To that end, let me be very clear: social media is not a toy. While ultimately it is up to parents to decide when children get their first smartphones, what we already have is a consensus that there needs to be a start date for the age children can join social media."
Earlier this year, von der Leyen explicitly called out "TikTok and its addictive design," heavily criticizing features like infinite scrolling, autoplay, and push notifications.
How TikTok is Responding
To counter these claims, TikTok highlights the massive resources it is pouring into user protection, noting that the company spent $2 billion on trust and safety last year alone. According to Law, the platform has implemented over 50 preset safety settings for users under the age of 16.
Key measures designed to enforce a "healthy relationship" with the app include:
Screen Time Limits: A default one-hour screen time limit for young users.
Digital Nudges: A 10:00 p.m. screen takeover that prompts users to take a break (though younger users can opt to bypass this warning and continue scrolling).
Feature Restrictions: A strict ban on direct messaging for users under 16, and a ban on selling items via TikTok Shop for anyone under 18.
A Growing Legal Threat
Despite these nudges, the legal pressure on tech giants is mounting. Earlier this year, TikTok settled with a plaintiff in a high-profile case alleging that platforms like YouTube and Instagram harmed young people's mental health through addictive design features. In that exact same case, a jury ultimately found Meta and Google negligent for failing to warn users about the dangers of using their platforms.
As the EU prepares to officially roll out its new regulations, tech companies will have to prove their default safety features are enough to protect the next generation—or face unprecedented regional bans.