On July 24, 2026, the European Commission announced its preliminary finding that TikTok's accounts for minors may not meet the safety standards required under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

    A key concern is that minors can choose to make their accounts public. This may allow their content to be viewed even by people without a TikTok account. Content posted by older minors aged 16–17 may also be recommended to other users through the “For You” feed, potentially increasing risks such as unwanted contact and cyberbullying.

    The Commission considers that minors' content should, by default, be visible only to users accepted by the minor. It also states that TikTok should refrain from recommending minors' content to other users through the “For You” feed.

    These are preliminary findings and do not constitute a final determination of non-compliance. TikTok has an opportunity to respond before the Commission reaches a final decision.

Comment from GAME-F

Should children's online safety depend primarily on the settings they choose for themselves?

As social media use among minors becomes increasingly common, safety measures should go beyond teaching children to avoid risky settings. An important principle is to make safer settings the default from the outset.

On social media, the issue is not only who can directly view a child's post. Recommendation systems may also distribute content to audiences that the child did not originally anticipate.

The EU's action illustrates a broader shift away from placing responsibility solely on children's self-management toward requiring platforms to design default settings and recommendation systems with children's safety in mind from the beginning.

References

European Commission. Commission preliminary finds TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act for failing to ensure safe accounts for minors. July 24, 2026.
European Commission — Preliminary findings on TikTok and minors' accounts

European Commission. Midday press briefing from 24/07/2026. July 24, 2026.
European Commission — Midday press briefing, July 24, 2026