TikTok, one of the most popular social platforms in the world, has carried out significant modifications to its infrastructure, aiming to provide a more transparent, secure and controlled environment for its users in the European Union. In this article, we will take a close look at exactly what changes the platform has introduced and what benefits they will bring to the community.
Easy access to information about the platform
Over the past year, the TikTok team, consisting of more than 1,000 employees from various departments, has worked hard to adapt to the new legal requirements and to be fully ready on the first day they took effect. The result of these efforts was the creation of the Safety Center, which now serves as a central source of information for users about all the improvements and new actions taken by the platform.
What changes on TikTok from August 28?
On August 28, certain changes were made on TikTok related to the new European Union law. Below are the most important ones.
Option to report illegal content
Option to report illegal content
One of the key changes is the introduction of an option to report content considered illegal under the law of a given country. Regardless of the already existing Community Guidelines and Terms of Service, users can now report content that they believe violates legal regulations. This applies not only to user-generated content, but also to advertising content. The person making the report will be able to select a category depending on the type of violation, including hate speech, harassment and financial crimes.
A special guide is already available on the platform to help users understand what content is considered illegal. Reported materials will be reviewed and removed if violations of the Community Guidelines are found. More complex cases will be handled by a team of moderators and legal experts, who will assess whether the content violates the law of a given country. In the event of abuse, the material will be blocked in that country. Both the reporter and the publisher will be informed of the decision and its justification. The creator has the right to appeal the moderation ruling.
Detailed information about moderation decisions
Detailed information about moderation decisions
TikTok has committed to providing the European community with more detailed information about decisions regarding moderated content. The platform wants users to understand the decisions made regarding their accounts. From now on, users will be informed when a video does not qualify for recommendation (e.g. when it contains unverified claims about ongoing elections). The community will also have insight into whether a given decision was made by automated technology.
Turning off personalization of recommended content
Turning off personalization of recommended content
How TikTok adapts to the new European Union law
TikTok is introducing the option to personalize recommended content. This means that users will now be able to see materials that are popular worldwide, not only those that match their interests. In addition, the search engine will now show results based on popular regional content and in the preferred language. This is an important step toward increasing control over what users see on the platform.
Another important change is that people aged 13 to 17 in Europe will not see personalized ads on the platform. TikTok therefore wants to protect younger users from inappropriate advertising content.
Ongoing work on further improvements
Ongoing work on further improvements
In accordance with DSA regulations, TikTok plans to publish its first transparency report. This report will include information about active users in individual EEA countries and detailed data on content moderation on the platform.
All the changes introduced are intended to provide users with greater transparency and understanding of the actions taken by this popular social platform.
Summary
TikTok is adapting to the requirements of EU law by introducing, from August 28, an option to report illegal content, detailed justifications for moderation decisions and the ability to turn off recommendation personalization. The platform also protects young people (13–17) from personalized ads.
As part of the DSA, the first transparency report is planned, covering data on active users in the EEA. The changes are intended to increase trust in the platform and give users greater control over what they see.
