Brussels is pressing these platforms, classified as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) due to their reach of over 45 million EU users, to prove that they are taking real steps to shield children from illegal and harmful content. This includes exposure to drugs, vaping products, and material that promotes eating disorders.

The EU request centres on the companies’ age verification tools and internal measures for restricting harmful material regarding child safety. Officials also want explanations on how their algorithms handle potentially addictive recommendation systems and how app stores manage access to gambling, sexual content, and so-called “nudify” applications.

“Today, alongside national authorities in the member states, we are assessing whether the measures taken so far by the platforms are indeed protecting children,” said EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen.

The case is part of an enforcement under the DSA, the EU’s digital law designed to make tech giants more accountable for content circulating on their platforms. The Commission has issued formal Requests for Information (RFIs), a step that could lead to full investigations and fines reaching up to 6% of global turnover if breaches are confirmed.

Beyond enforcement, the EU is exploring policy changes, including setting a bloc-wide “digital age of majority” that could restrict minors’ access to certain online services, an idea inspired by Australia’s under-16 social media ban.

In the United States, several states such as Utah and Arkansas now require parental consent for minors to use social media. Meanwhile, within Europe, Denmark is pushing for a national social media ban for users under 15, while France and Spain have publicly backed tighter digital age limits.

The EU child safety investigation follows its child protection guidelines published in July 2025, which laid out clearer expectations for compliance with the DSA.

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At the heart of the case is TikTok’s failure to publish a comprehensive advertising repository, a requirement under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

The Commission’s preliminary findings, issued Thursday, show that TikTok has not provided basic information required by law. 

Specifically, the platform did not disclose key details about adverts on its platform, who funded them, who was targeted, and what the content involved. Without this, the public and researchers are left in the dark, unable to track misinformation, scams, or political manipulation.

“Transparency in online advertising — who pays and how audiences are targeted — is essential to safeguarding the public interest,” said Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s tech chief.

The DSA was created to force large online platforms to take responsibility for digital risks. The ad repository is a mechanism meant to stop coordinated disinformation campaigns, fake ads, and covert political influence. TikTok’s non-compliance obstructs that entire process.

The probe into TikTok started back in February 2024. Since then, the Commission has been gathering evidence about advertising among other concerns, including its allegedly addictive interface, risks to children, and restrictions on researcher access to platform data.

And that’s not all. A second, ongoing investigation is digging into TikTok’s role during Romania’s presidential election debacle. The country’s top court annulled the results after discovering that the app may have amplified extremist content, with suspicions of Russian interference in play.

So far, TikTok has not commented publicly on the charges. Under EU law, the company has the right to examine the Commission’s evidence and respond in writing. If its defence fails to convince regulators, the consequences might go beyond finances, to also include reputation.

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