ADDICTION CONCERNS: EU opens probe into TikTok Lite after US govt moves to ban app

The European Union (EU) has launched a second official investigation into TikTok Lite’s operations. This action comes after a more thorough investigation in February.

The EU claims that the well-known social media site, which is owned by Bytdance, is violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the area.

According to additional sources, the investigation focuses on TikTok Lite’s addictive qualities. TikTok Lite is a condensed version of the app that runs more slowly on weaker internet connections and requires less memory on smartphones.

“We suspect TikTok Lite could be as toxic and addictive as” light cigarettes, Thierry Breton, the commissioner for the EU Internal Market, wrote in a press release announcing the probe. “We will spare no effort to protect our children.”

This comes days after Tiktok reacted after a move to ban the app in the US passed a revised bill compelling its parent company to either sell or face an outright ban.

READ ALSO:Tiktok set to launch new app to rival Zuckerberg’s Instagram

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday that follows a similar bill that was already passed by the House in March and mooted by the previous administration, which was headed by former US President Donald Trump.

Recall that Democrats and Republicans had earlier expressed concerns about the app’s owner, the Chinese technology company ByteDance Ltd., raising national security issues.

In response, the Tiktok ban was implemented; a stand-alone bill with a shorter, six-month selling limit passed the House in March with a resounding bipartisan vote.

In response to the proposed ban, Tiktok said that if the bill is passed, it will likely launch a lawsuit to try to overturn it, arguing that millions of users of the app will be deprived of their First Amendment rights.

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