Social networks: complaint in Europe against TikTok

The UFC-Que Choisir believes that the social network "does not succeed" in protecting young people and cites failures in the protection against hidden advertising and "potentially dangerous" content.

LOIC VENANCE AFP

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3 min

This Tuesday, February 16, European consumer associations announced the filing of a complaint against the social network TikTok.

He is accused of exploiting the rights and data of users, often very young.

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The European Bureau of Consumers' Unions (BEUC), which brings together several consumer associations on the Old Continent, will seize the European Commission to launch an investigation into the practices of this very popular video-sharing application, indicates on Tuesday February 16, the French association UFC-Que Choisir in a press release.

Between the trade war between Beijing and Washington, and various facts, the popular application of light videos is regularly singled out across the world.

In mid-January, TikTok had restricted privacy settings for its users aged 13 to 15 days after observers accused the company's algorithm of promoting access to sexualized videos featuring minors .

For their part, the Italian authorities had blocked - at the end of January - access to the network to users whose age is not guaranteed, after the death of a 10-year-old girl in Sicily who participated in the "headscarf game" on the social network.

TikTok does not protect young people

The UFC-Que Choisir believes that the social network " 

does not succeed

 " in protecting young people and cites breaches in the protection against hidden advertising and " 

potentially dangerous

 " content.

In addition, the platform accepts registrations from 13 years old, yet 45% of children under this age indicated using the application in France, says Que Choisir.

In addition, the UFC also denounces " 

the deceptive system 

" of " 

virtual gifts 

" aimed at rewarding the favorite videos of Internet users.

TikTok " 

makes every effort so that the user forgets that it is about real money 

", affirms the UFC, qualifying these practices of " 

detestable 

".

The association also believes that user data is " 

overexploited

 ", " 

contrary to the obligations of the RGPD

 ", the regulation which guarantees users certain rights over their data.

“Very concretely, TikTok gives itself the right to do what it wants with the published videos: use them, modify them, reproduce them without users having a say,” says Que Choisir.

(

with AFP

)

To read also: Tik Tok, the Chinese network which censors itself

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