Tiktok is ending controversial rewards feature in Europe
Under pressure from the European Commission due to suspected addiction risks for minors, the video platform TikTok has permanently suspended a controversial reward system in Europe. "We have reached the final shutdown of the TikTok Lite reward program," EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton announced on the short messaging service X. TikTok had already temporarily suspended the feature, which remains the case now.
The company introduced the new app "TikTok Lite" in April, which was available in France and Spain in Europe. The version contained a points system: users who sign up, watch several hours of videos, or invite friends to TikTok are rewarded with digital coins. These points can be exchanged for small amounts in the form of vouchers, for example, for the online retailer Amazon.
The EU Commission had already expressed concerns in April about the "risk of serious harm to the mental health of users" and demanded measures from TikTok to protect minors in particular. TikTok stated that it wanted to address these concerns and suspended the feature in the meantime.
The company has now actually addressed the concerns, according to the Commission - by abolishing the feature in the EU and also committing to "not introducing any other programs that would circumvent the ban". The procedure initiated against TikTok in April will therefore be discontinued.
In February, Brussels had already initiated a procedure due to possible addiction risks for minors due to the design of the standard TikTok platform. This procedure is still ongoing. Online services like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are obliged under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) to better protect minors and to delete content such as violent depictions or misinformation more quickly.
- Recognizing the EU's concerns, TikTok has decided to cease operations of the TikTok Lite reward program across all European Union countries, following the suspension initiated earlier.
- With the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) requiring stricter measures to protect minors and prevent addiction risks, TikTok's permanent elimination of the reward system is a significant step towards complying with these regulations within the EU.
