TikTok is under fire in Europe after the European Commission charged the social media platform with violating key provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA)—a regulation aimed at increasing accountability among tech companies operating within the EU.
The Commission’s preliminary findings, issued Thursday, claim that TikTok has not met the transparency standards required by the DSA. At the center of the issue is the platform’s alleged failure to maintain a public ad repository, a tool meant to help users and researchers identify and analyze potentially misleading or scam advertisements.
According to EU regulators, TikTok has not adequately disclosed essential advertising data—such as ad content, targeting criteria, and the identity of advertisers—thus potentially compromising public trust and transparency in digital advertising.
“Transparency in online advertising — who pays and how audiences are targeted — is essential to safeguarding the public interest,” said EU tech policy leader Henna Virkkunen in a statement.
This development adds to the mounting pressure on TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which could face financial penalties amounting to 6% of its global annual revenue if found in violation of the rules. Additionally, TikTok is already subject to a separate EU investigation over how it handles political content and election-related risks.
TikTok responded by expressing disagreement with some of the Commission’s interpretations. A company spokesperson noted that while the platform is committed to improving transparency and upholding the goals of the DSA, the current findings were based on provisional guidance rather than finalized, public criteria.
“We support the goals of the regulation… but clear and consistent guidelines are essential for fair enforcement,” the spokesperson said.
The Commission has invited TikTok to review the findings and submit a formal response before making a final determination on the case.
As the regulatory landscape evolves, this confrontation underscores a broader shift toward greater accountability for tech giants, especially those handling massive volumes of user-generated content and advertising.
