The European Union has set a deadline of November 30 for YouTube and TikTok, both under Alphabet’s umbrella, to respond to an information request regarding their strategies for safeguarding children from illegal and harmful content, as announced by the European Commission on Thursday.
The Commission is seeking additional details on the steps taken by these platforms to enhance their initiatives in protecting minors, aligning with the EU’s new regulatory framework for Big Tech, known as the Digital Services Act.
ExetonTech reported on Wednesday that EU industry chief Thierry Breton is taking action, seeking immediate comments from Google and TikTok, with no response received yet.
This move follows Breton’s recent directive to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, urging him to vigorously combat disinformation on the platform, which is owned by China’s ByteDance.
In a similar vein, Breton emphasized to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai the company’s duty to safeguard children and teenagers. Despite the request for comment, both Google and TikTok have remained silent for now.
Companies may face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover for violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Commission has announced that it will determine its next course of action after evaluating the responses it receives.