The Italian competition authority on Thursday fined TikTok 10 million euros (about $11 million), saying the hugely popular video app failed to adequately protect minors.
Furthermore, this content is systematically re-suggested to users as a result of their algorithmic rating, which incentivizes usage.
The fine was imposed on three units of the Chinese group Bytedance, namely Ireland’s TikTok Technology, TikTok Information Technologies UK, and TikTok Italy.
The watchdog said TikTok didn’t follow the rules promised to ensure the app was safe for users.
The rules aren’t considering how teenagers are different. They have unique ways of thinking, like struggling to tell what’s real and what’s not, and copying what others do.
The short video app has soared in popularity around the world. Still, its ownership by Chinese tech giant ByteDance – and alleged affiliation to the ruling Communist Party in Beijing – has raised concern in Western capitals.
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill, on Wednesday, that would force TikTok to separate from the company. The Chinese owner of it is subject to being banned in the United States.
A bill that could ban the app in America was passed yesterday, Wednesday. According to the newspaper, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and X have created scrollable video features that mimic TikTok, although many users say that these competitors have not mastered the recommendation algorithm that makes TikTok very tempting.
Many TikTok users also say that moving a large audience to another platform is difficult, and different platforms have different monetization plans, which could mean challenges for content creators looking to rebuild businesses that rely on TikTok if they have to move to… Another social network, according to the report. On the other hand, some TikTokkers seemed to appear ready for the bad time.
For his part, many of the approximately 170 million Americans who use the app have raised concerns that banning TikTok could mean getting rid of a platform that represents much more than just a platform through which young people can follow the latest updates about the Princess of Wales, which is the place they go to communicate. Entertainment, searching for information, and earning a living.
Short videos and a powerful recommendation algorithm keep users engaged on the platform, but TikTok won’t vanish from Americans’ phones anytime soon.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, on Wednesday, refused to commit to presenting the TikTok bill to the Senate for a vote.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin said Tuesday that he had concerns about the constitutionality of the bill. He added that the bill’s passage could have political ramifications — including on President Joe Biden, who has said he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk — before the 2024 election.
“Excluding a large group of young voters is not the best strategy known to bring back the bill,” he added. Election.”
In the same context, even if the bill succeeds in being passed in the Senate and signed into law, TikTok has indicated that it is likely to challenge the legislation in court, according to the report.
