EU finds TikTok violated privacy rules for minors, faces potential fine under Digital Services Act

The European Union issued preliminary findings on July 24 that TikTok has violated rules designed to protect the privacy of minors, a determination that could trigger yet another substantial financial penalty against the ByteDance-owned platform. The case falls under the Digital Services Act, the EU’s sweeping regulatory framework for digital platforms. A tab that keeps growing In September 2023, Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner hit TikTok with a €345 million fine for GDPR violations related to children’s data. The investigation found that the platform had allowed accounts for users under 13 and failed to adequately safeguard their personal information during the second half of 2020. Then there’s the separate €530 million fine related to data transfers to China, which was upheld by the Irish High Court in 2026. Add it up, and TikTok’s European regulatory bill already exceeds €875 million before this latest action is even finalized. What the DSA changes The DSA is the EU’s newer, broader regulatory toolkit specifically designed to govern how large digital platforms operate. It covers content moderation, algorithmic transparency, and, critically, protections for minors. Under t...