The European Commission (the “Commission”) has released its preliminary findings that TikTok is in breach of the Digital Services Act (“DSA”) as a result of the platform’s “addictive design”.
The Commission opened formal proceedings to investigate TikTok’s compliance with the DSA on 19 February 2024. The preliminary findings come at a time where there is increasing focus on what social media platforms are doing to ensure the protection of minors online. Several EU countries are now scrutinising social media use by under-16s and on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, in its digital and AI strategy, the Irish Government committed to “work actively with like-minded Member States to explore options to introduce age restrictions on the use of social media” by under-16s.
