TikTok Lite Alters its Rewards Program in Europe, Introducing a Cross-Themed System
The European Union has taken a significant step in regulating the behavior of net giants, with the Digital Services Act (DSA) playing a key role in the recent removal of the TikTok Lite Rewards program.
The TikTok Lite Rewards program, which offered points for user engagement that could be converted into benefits like Amazon products, was suspended in EU countries on April 24. Following an investigation by the European Commission due to concerns about potential addiction risks among young people, TikTok agreed to permanently remove the program from the EU to comply with digital services legislation.
The European Commission had opened a formal procedure into the TikTok Lite program on April 22, citing the program's potential to stimulate addictive behaviors and its negative effects on the physical and mental health of users, particularly minors. The TikTok Lite Rewards program was controversial and raised significant concerns about potential addiction risks among young users.
The withdrawal of the TikTok Lite program was made possible by the application of the DSA, a European Regulation aimed at controlling the behavior of net giants. This removal reflects broader regulatory efforts in Europe to limit features that might contribute to excessive use or harmful effects on young audiences. Alongside the TikTok Lite Rewards program, live streaming, ads, and shopping functions were also removed from the TikTok Lite version.
ByteDance, the company behind the app, has committed to not deploying equivalent functionality for European users in the future. The Arcom (Authority for the Regulation of Audiovisual and Digital Communications) has welcomed the withdrawal of the TikTok Lite program, citing it as a demonstration of the European Commission and national regulators' ability to demand more responsible behavior from digital actors.
This move underscores the increasing scrutiny and regulatory pressure on TikTok, particularly around its algorithms and content moderation, under the EU Digital Services Act. The removal of the TikTok Lite Rewards program is a clear indication of the EU's commitment to safeguarding the well-being of its citizens, particularly young people, in the digital age.
[1] Source: European Commission Press Release, "Commission takes action against TikTok Lite for potential risks to children", 22 April 2021, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_1827
The Digital Services Act (DSA) played a crucial role in the removal of the TikTok Lite Rewards program from the European Union, as it was deemed potentially addictive and harmful to young users. This incident highlighted the increasing regulatory scrutiny of digital services like TikTok, with the aim of safeguarding the well-being of EU citizens.
