The main topic is that TikTok is making changes to comply with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). Key points include:
1. TikTok users in the European Union will soon be able to switch off the platform's content-selection algorithm.
2. The DSA requires popular platforms to offer users the choice to see content recommendations that are not based on tracking and profiling.
3. TikTok is launching its first ads transparency library and expanding its research API in preparation for DSA compliance.
4. Other platforms like Instagram and YouTube will also have to offer users the same choice under the DSA.
5. TikTok's algorithmic recommendations have been credited for its success, but the EU legislation now requires users to have the option to deny personalization.
6. TikTok will also make changes to search results and content sorting for users who deny personalization.
7. TikTok is implementing additional changes, such as banning personalized ads for users aged 13-17 and providing an additional content reporting option.
8. TikTok will provide more transparency around its moderation decisions and inform users about content that violates its policies or local laws.
9. These changes will apply in the European Union and may also apply in the UK.
Main topic: TikTok's changes for users in the European Union to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Key points:
1. Users will have the ability to decide whether or not to let algorithms power their For You page (FYP).
2. Search results will be comprised of popular videos in their region and content in their preferred language.
3. TikTok will introduce an alternative FYP and additional reporting options for European users.
The European Union's senior envoy for digital to the U.S., Gerard de Graaf, has been working with tech giants to prepare them for the implementation of The Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to reduce the spread of illegal online content and provide more accountability; de Graaf has noted a greater respect and understanding for the EU's position, especially regarding generative AI, and major tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have shown signs of taking the DSA seriously.
Users in the European Union now have the option to decline personalized content feeds on mainstream social networks, thanks to the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA), with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat offering non-personalized chronological news feeds in compliance with the law.
Starting Friday, large tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Snapchat, and TikTok must comply with new European laws that regulate social media moderation, targeted advertising, and counterfeit goods, among other areas; the laws aim to address concerns about misinformation, mental health, algorithmic content, transparency, and illegal products, with potential fines of up to 6% of global annual revenue for non-compliance.
The European Union has classified Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Facebook owner Meta, and TikTok parent ByteDance as online "gatekeepers" and imposed new digital rules to prevent tech giants from dominating digital markets, with potential fines and the requirement to sell parts of their business.
The EU has designated six tech giants, including Alphabet/Google, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft, as "gatekeepers" subject to the Digital Market Act, aiming to promote fairness, competition, and transparency in core digital services. This regulation could have a wide-ranging impact on Apple's services business, potentially forcing changes to the App Store's revenue share model, increasing competition and pricing pressure for Apple Music and iCloud, and altering revenue sharing agreements with third-party subscriptions on iOS. The DMA threatens to weaken Apple's control and profitability across its services segment.
