EU's Breton To TikTok CEO: Comply With New Digital Rules Or Face Ban (apnews.com) 20
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: The European Union's digital policy chief warned TikTok's boss Thursday that the social media app will have to fall in line with tough new rules for online platforms set to take effect later this year. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton held a video call with Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned video sharing app that's coming under increasing scrutiny from Western authorities over fears about data privacy, cybersecurity and misinformation. The two discussed the company's plans to comply with the bloc's Digital Services Act, which is set to take effect for the biggest online companies in September. The act is a set of sweeping rules that will require platforms to reduce harmful online content and combat online risks.
"With younger audiences comes greater responsibility," Breton said, according to a readout of the call. "It is not acceptable that behind seemingly fun and harmless features, it takes users seconds to access harmful and sometimes even life-threatening content." Breton added that, with millions of young users in Europe, TikTok has a "special responsibility" to ensure its content is safe. [...] Breton said he is also concerned about allegations TikTok is spying on journalists and transferring reams of personal user data outside of Europe, in violation of the 27-country bloc's strict privacy rules.
Bretaon said he "explicitly conveyed" to Shou that TikTok needs to "step up efforts to comply" with EU rules on data protection, copyright as well as the Digital Services At, which includes provisions for heavy fines or even a ban from the EU for repeat offenses that threaten the people's lives or safety. "We will not hesitate to adopt the full scope of sanctions to protect our citizens if audits do not show full compliance," he said.
"With younger audiences comes greater responsibility," Breton said, according to a readout of the call. "It is not acceptable that behind seemingly fun and harmless features, it takes users seconds to access harmful and sometimes even life-threatening content." Breton added that, with millions of young users in Europe, TikTok has a "special responsibility" to ensure its content is safe. [...] Breton said he is also concerned about allegations TikTok is spying on journalists and transferring reams of personal user data outside of Europe, in violation of the 27-country bloc's strict privacy rules.
Bretaon said he "explicitly conveyed" to Shou that TikTok needs to "step up efforts to comply" with EU rules on data protection, copyright as well as the Digital Services At, which includes provisions for heavy fines or even a ban from the EU for repeat offenses that threaten the people's lives or safety. "We will not hesitate to adopt the full scope of sanctions to protect our citizens if audits do not show full compliance," he said.
Re: (Score:1)
"We can see what is going on with these W.E.F. clowns"
Just when it couldn't get more nuts, it took only a week for you to believe that elderly bloggers are somehow a threat to you.
Re: (Score:1)
Asking someone to change their background (Score:2)
This is about as crazy as asking somebody to change the background on the computer.
When is it going to stop
Everything on TikTok (Score:3)
Same goes for Facebook. Anything Uncle Sam wants from Facebook, it will be quietly handed over on a silver platter.
I’m pretty damn sure that the same goes for Apple, regardless of all the encryption and the chatter about privacy. If the NSA really, REALLY wants a piece of data, they’ll get it, you can be damn sure.
If European countries feel so strongly about this, they can stand up their own social networks. If not, they need to decide who they‘d prefer to be watching them. The highly flawed democratic capitalist world power? The maybe-up-and-coming Chinese Emperor? Both, maybe?
Pick your poison.
Re: (Score:2)
What they can do, and have been doing for a while now, is to tell these guys they only get access to European customers under the rules the EU sets.
They'll fall into line because they like money.
Re: (Score:2)
Facebook will absolutely, sincerely promise to follow European privacy rules. They'll sign whatever documents they're required to sign, and jump through whatever hoop is required. It doesn't matter. When the NSA wants something from Facebook, th
Re: (Score:2)
IIUC, some of the rules say "The data doesn't leave the EU. period."
If they do abide by that, then the data won't be accessible. The US has been negotiating for a long time to get the data allowed to be processed in the US. It's been an on-again off-again kind of negotiation, though, because the US has a lot to offer, so the negotiators will accept an agreement, and then the EU courts look at it and say "that's not compliant with the laws". A few months ago the private EU data had to stay in the EU, but
Re: (Score:2)
Um....
It's like I'm talking to a wall, here.
Let me try one more time. Things work best when the rules and laws apply to everyone, and international agreements are followed. However, that's more of an ideal, and not the reality at all. Especially when it comes to spy agencies. The US is bad enough about this, but China makes the US look like a Boy Scout. If you think that China is going to honor any EU privacy rules, well, there's nothing more I can do with this conversation.
All of t
Re: (Score:2)
It really *is* possible to tell how much data is being shipped out by an application. It may not be possible to read it, but the quantity can be measured. So the rules *can* be enforced. Whether they will be is another question. (There are ways to do end runs around this, but they get complicated enough to be discovered.)
So, yeah, an agreement can be made and then "illegally circumvented", but that can be detected, and if detected the application can be banned. (Of course there are LOTS of applications
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Everything on TikTok (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Also, he's right.
Re: (Score:2)
goes to China. Full stop. No more discussion. Anything annd everything that the CCP wants from TikTok? Yeah, they get it.
Same goes for Facebook. Anything Uncle Sam wants from Facebook, it will be quietly handed over on a silver platter.
I’m pretty damn sure that the same goes for Apple, regardless of all the encryption and the chatter about privacy. If the NSA really, REALLY wants a piece of data, they’ll get it, you can be damn sure.
I'm pretty sure the Feds can already break Apple's encryption without even asking... if they don't have a back door to being with.
Re: (Score:2)
How can I put this in a way you might understand?
You (that's you, not someone else) are talking bollocks. (That's an insult here - it may be a compliment in your country if behaving like a sex-crazed bullshit generator is considered good form, but it is intended as an insult.)
My wife does content moderation (in Russian, because there are lots of Russians speaking Russian, outside Russia) for Tiktok, according to Tiktok's European rules
Follow the truth of the EU or get punished! (Score:1)
The EU is a safe haven for free speech as long as it is the kind of speech that the EU dictatorship likes to hear.
Re: Follow the truth of the EU or get punished! (Score:2)
Life-Threatening? (Score:2)
China has found a way to kill people via short-form videos? Their cyberwarfare tech is far more advanced than we ever imagined!