ByteDance's TikTok has been given 24 hours to provide a risk assessment on its new app TikTok Lite launched this month in France and Spain because of concerns about its potential impact on children and users' mental health, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
The move by EU industry chief Thierry Breton under EU tech rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) comes two months after he opened an investigation into TikTok over possible breaches of the law.
The landmark law requires companies to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms, with fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover for violations.
TikTok should have done a risk assessment on the new app before launching it in the 27-country European Union, the Commission said.
"Is social media "lite" as addictive and toxic as cigarettes "light"? We have just sent a request for information regarding the launch of #TikTokLite. We will spare no effort to protect minors under the #DSA," Breton said on X social platform.