TikTok has halted a feature on its new Lite app that rewarded users in Europe for watching videos. The company backed down after the European Union warned that the app might have breached the bloc’s digital regulations when it launched earlier this month.
The EU’s executive Commission threatened to order the suspension of features that pose a risk to kids. TikTok said in a post on social media platform X that it “always seeks to engage constructively with the EU Commission and other regulators.” It added that it is “voluntarily suspending the rewards functions in TikTok Lite while we address the concerns that they have raised.”
TikTok Lite, which was rolled out in Poland and Romania, is a slimmed-down version of the main TikTok app that lets users earn rewards. Points earned by watching videos, liking content, and following content creators can then be exchanged for rewards including vouchers and gift cards on PayPal.
EU officials warned earlier this week that TikTok could face an order as early as Thursday to suspend the reward features. They had demanded the company turn over information about the app, including a risk assessment that should have been carried out before the app was rolled out, under threat of hefty financial penalties.
“Our children are not guinea pigs for social media,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a social media post responding to the announcement. He noted that the main TikTok app faces EU scrutiny in the form of a separate ongoing in-depth investigation into its compliance with the bloc’s Digital Services Act.
Brussels is examining whether TikTok is doing enough to curb “systemic risks” stemming from its design, including “algorithmic systems” that might stimulate “behavioral addictions.” Regulators are worried that measures including age verification tools to stop minors from finding “inappropriate content” might not be effective.
