The platform “TikTok” announced on Wednesday that it has suspended a feature in its new app “TikTok Lite” that rewards users based on the time they spend watching videos. This move has raised concerns within the European Union about the potential for encouraging addictive behavior among young people, according to a report from the French news agency.
European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, Thierry Breton, who announced an investigation in Brussels on Monday, threatened to impose a ban on the app starting Thursday if “our children are not fields of experimentation for social networks.”
Breton emphasized that measures against the platform regarding the “risk of addiction” would continue, despite TikTok’s decision to suspend the rewards feature.
In a statement posted via “X”, the social network stated that “TikTok always seeks to work constructively with the European Commission and other regulatory bodies,” hence the voluntary suspension of the rewards feature in TikTok Lite, with simultaneous efforts to address the concerns raised.
The “TikTok Lite” app, owned by the Chinese company “ByteDance”, was launched at the end of last March. It rewards users with virtual coins if they log in daily for 10 days and spend a specific amount of time watching videos (maximum 60 to 85 minutes daily), as well as performing certain actions such as liking videos and following content creators. These virtual coins can then be exchanged for gift cards on partner sites, such as Amazon.
The new app has sparked concerns that its principle could potentially encourage addictive behavior among young people.
