The Italian Competition Authority has fined TikTok €10 million for its failure to safeguard users from the harmful “French Scar Challenge” game. This viral challenge involves individuals pinching their cheeks to create markings on the skin, posing risks to users’ psycho-physical safety, particularly minors and vulnerable individuals. The AGCM, Italy’s competition watchdog, asserts that TikTok inadequately monitored and prevented the dissemination of such harmful content on its platform. Despite TikTok’s claims of being a “safe” space, the AGCM found that the platform failed to fully comply with its own guidelines and neglected the specific vulnerability of adolescents.
The AGCM’s investigation concluded that TikTok’s algorithm contributed to the proliferation of harmful content, including the “French Scar Challenge,” by recommending such content to vulnerable users. This recommendation system, based on algorithmic user profiling, selects videos tailored to individual users in sections like ‘For You’ and ‘Followed.’ The regulator criticizes TikTok for not implementing adequate measures to prevent the spread of harmful content and for disregarding the vulnerability of adolescents, who may struggle to distinguish reality from fiction and are prone to emulating group behavior.
TikTok’s failure to effectively monitor and curb the dissemination of harmful content led to a €10 million fine imposed by the AGCM on three factions of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company. The fine underscores the importance of social media platforms adopting robust mechanisms to protect users, especially minors, from potentially harmful challenges and content. While TikTok has faced scrutiny for its content moderation practices, the AGCM’s action serves as a reminder of the regulatory consequences for platforms that do not prioritize user safety.
