The European Union is preparing tougher rules for TikTok and Meta, with Ursula von der Leyen warning that addictive social media features could soon face stricter limits across Europe.
Addressing attendees at the European Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Children in Denmark, Von der Leyen indicated that the Commission will step up efforts to tackle platforms belonging to Meta, as well as TikTok, as regulators fear that algorithms used by these companies promote addictive behavior among young users.
Specifically, regulators are targeting features like automatic playback and constant push notifications. Such practices keep people glued to social media and may expose kids to inappropriate content.
Von der Leyen accused social media giants of lacking proper age-verification mechanisms. In some cases, she claimed, minors have been allowed access to “rabbit holes” full of harmful content, including videos promoting behaviors like anorexia and self-harm.
Indeed, according to The Verge, the European Commission has already launched investigations regarding TikTok and Meta based on the provisions of the Digital Services Act, which is a broad EU legislation aiming to control various online platforms.
Bridging Child Safety and Privacy via eIDAS Age Verification
In fact, recent statements made by von der Leyen indicate that the European Union is not only going to launch further investigations but also apply enforcement measures towards the issue in question. At present, the EU authorities are developing a new set of rules that will require internet platforms to use age checks and provide extra safety guarantees to younger people.
The cornerstone of the EU policy will be its innovative age verification app. In the words of von der Leyen, this tool will comply with high-level data protection standards while allowing online platforms to verify users’ age effectively.
The app is anticipated to work with the EU’s growing digital identity ecosystem, which operates through the eIDAS system. After its implementation, it can link to digital wallets currently being developed by some of the EU’s member countries.
The European Commission sees the technology as eliminating one of the main excuses provided by social media companies. Over the past years, some of these companies have been using the inability to verify ages without compromising privacy as an excuse for not doing it. The Commission, however, says that there is technology that is capable of ensuring safety while maintaining privacy.
The Commission is also reviewing suggestions made by the Special Panel of Experts on Child Safety Online.
This pressure comes amid rising concerns in Europe about the impact of social media on teens and children. There is a consensus among policymakers that the recommendation algorithm is geared toward engagement maximization over welfare.
TikTok, Teen Safety, and the Transatlantic Regulatory Rift
According to critics, platforms prefer content that elicits an emotional response since it ensures that users remain engaged for a long time. It is common for recommendation engines to guide young people into harmful groups or videos with just a few taps.
It is not just a European problem. Countries worldwide are contemplating new regulations relating to the use of social media by minors. Some countries have considered making age verification mandatory and limiting usage.
There is, nevertheless, disagreement amongst scholars on the effectiveness of such interventions. Critics of the proposed intervention measures are of the view that stringent measures might pose privacy issues or encourage teens to use less regulated sites. On the other hand, proponents of tough rules are of the opinion that self-regulated safety policies put in place by technology corporations are ineffective.
The stringent attitude shown by the European Union might, however, strain relations with the United States even further. Most of the firms under investigation by the Brussels authorities are American organizations and the authorities have enforced regulations concerning privacy, competition, cloud services, and artificial intelligence.
The European authorities claim that such measures are necessary to safeguard their citizens. On the contrary, US companies maintain that regulations in place by the European Union raise high compliance costs.
Meta and TikTok Face Rising Regulatory Heat in US and EU
Meta also comes under threat in the United States as well. The firm has recently lost a legal case in New Mexico based on claims against child safety on their platforms. Meanwhile, TikTok remains under government investigation in the West due to concerns regarding data gathering and security matters.
The latest comments by Von der Leyen suggest that the European stance will not become any more lenient. The officials in Brussels seem set on increasing supervision over social networks and making firms accountable for the impact of algorithms on their younger audience.
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