BRUSSELS (AFP) – TikTok will permanently remove a feature in a spinoff app in France and Spain that rewards users for watching and liking videos, bowing to pressure from European regulators, the European Union (EU) and the Chinese-owned company said yesterday.
TikTok Lite arrived in France and Spain – the only EU countries where it is available – in April this year. Users aged 18 and over can earn points to exchange for goods like vouchers or gift cards through the app’s rewards programme.
“We have obtained the permanent withdrawal of TikTok Lite Rewards programme, which could have had very addictive consequences,” EU’s Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said.
TikTok Lite is a smaller version of the popular TikTok app, taking up less memory in a smartphone and made to perform over slower internet connections.
TikTok made commitments to remove the programme from the 27-country bloc and not to launch “any other programme which would circumvent the withdrawal”, the European Commission said in a statement.
It is the first major victory for the European Union’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping new law that requires digital firms operating in the bloc to effectively police online content to protect users from harm.
The commission kickstarted an investigation into the Lite app in April amid concerns over “addictive” effects, which forced TikTok to temporarily suspend the programme.
The case is now closed after TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, made the binding commitments.
Any breach of the promises could lead to heavy fines under the DSA.
“We will carefully monitor TikTok’s compliance. Today’s decision also sends a clear message to the entire social media industry,” said Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager.
TikTok confirmed it had “now withdrawn” the rewards programme.
“We always seek to engage constructively with the European Commission and other regulators. TikTok is pleased to have reached an amicable resolution,” a company spokesperson said.
