EU Commission preliminarily finds TikTok violated DSA over minors' safety, platform faces fine up to 6% of global turnover
The European Commission says TikTok's default settings and public account options expose users aged 13 to 17 to cyberbullying and predatory contacts, breaching the Digital Services Act's rule for children.
EU Commission's preliminary findings
On 24 July 2026 the European Commission formally notified TikTok that its handling of minors' accounts likely violates Article 28 of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission's investigation, launched on 19 February 2024, examined how ByteDance's platform designs privacy defaults. Users aged 13 to 15 are assigned private accounts by default, but 16- and 17-year-olds can switch to public. Even private profiles leave the profile photo visible to anyone and allow identification through follower and following lists. When an account is public, content becomes accessible to people without a TikTok account and can be recommended through the "For You" feed.
Minors deserve a safe experience from the moment they go online. For this reason a high level of protection should not be an optional extra, but the norm.
The Commission warns that these design choices open a window into a child's life to strangers, with potentially permanent consequences. Spokesperson Thomas Regnier explained that the public default for older teens and the ease of finding minors across account lists amplify risks of unwanted contacts, cyberbullying and predatory behaviour.
TikTok's response
TikTok replied that over fifty preset privacy and safety features, developed with industry experts, already operate on underage accounts. The company stressed that the youngest users cannot use direct messages and that their content is not placed in the "For You" page. It intends to examine the preliminary conclusions and maintain constructive cooperation with Brussels.
Protecting minors online is a goal we share.
Should the preliminary breach be confirmed, the DSA allows the Commission to impose a penalty of up to 6% of TikTok's global annual turnover.
Background and regulatory context
The contested practice sits inside a broader EU strategy to shift the burden of child protection from families to platforms. The DSA, in effect since early 2024, places strict obligations on very large online platforms. In 2025 a similar case led to a 120 million euro fine for Elon Musk's X. The current action targets TikTok specifically under Article 28, which demands a high standard of privacy, safety and security for underage users.
Next steps
TikTok can now review the case file and present observations before the Commission takes a final decision. No deadline was announced, but the Brussels executive stressed that the preliminary findings already indicate a serious gap between the platform's design and the law's requirements.
- European Commission opens formal investigation into TikTok's design and handling of underage accounts under the Digital Services Act.
- Commission issues preliminary findings, contesting TikTok's compliance with Article 28 and warning that settings expose children to risks.
