cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5484182
TikTok is under investigation in France for failing to vet material that promotes suicide on the Chinese video-sharing platform.
Paris prosecutors said in a Tuesday statement that they are probing ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok’s algorithm and compliance with requirements to oversee the site and report suspected offenses committed through their services.
The crackdown follows a French parliamentary committee report that criticized lax controls on minors’ access, a lack of moderation, and an algorithm driving vulnerable people to suicide by locking them into a content loop. Arthur Delaporte, the lawmaker who headed the inquiry committee, brought the matter to the attention of prosecutors, according to the statement.
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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said she had tasked a special police unit known as the Brigade de lutte contre la cybercriminalité with leading the inquiries.
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European Union regulators also have TikTok in their cross-hairs. Regulators said last month that the app and Meta Platforms Inc. have both breached rules designed to tackle illegal or harmful online content, according to early findings from the bloc.