TikTok Facing Threat of EU Fines in Digital Content Clampdown

  • EU fears ByteDance-owned platform poses risk to minors
  • Investigation could lead to fines of up to 6% of annual sales

Signage at the TikTok Inc. offices.

Photographer: Ore Huiying/Bloomberg
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TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. risks heavy European Union penalties under tough new content rules for Big Tech after regulators announced a formal investigation into its alleged failure to protect minors who use the video-sharing platform.

EU Internal Market commissioner Thierry Breton announced Monday that TikTok will face a formal investigation under the bloc’s flagship Digital Services Act — which empowers regulators to levy fines of as much as 6% of annual sales, or ban repeat offenders from the EU.