TikTok is mounting a public defence of its safety record as European policymakers step up efforts to restrict children’s access to social media, increasing pressure on major platforms to demonstrate that they can protect younger users.
Pressure Builds Across Europe
Speaking to CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe, Ali Law, TikTok’s director of public policy and government affairs for Northern Europe, said the platform was built with a “safety by design” approach aimed at protecting younger users.
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“We’re really conscious of the concerns that both parents and policymakers have in this area,” Law said. “We want people to have a healthy and safe relationship with the app because of the amount of benefits that people can get when they’re using it.”
Governments are increasingly moving to tighten rules around children’s use of social media. Australia became the first country to enforce a legal ban in December, while the U.K., France, Greece and Spain have all announced plans to introduce similar restrictions.
At the EU level, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed this week that the bloc will move forward with measures aimed at limiting children’s access to social media, including the possibility of introducing a minimum age requirement.
The proposal follows recommendations from a special panel on child safety online established by von der Leyen.
“We in Europe believe that parents bring up our kids, and not predatory algorithms,” she said. “To that end, let me be very clear: social media is not a toy.”
TikTok’s Safety Playbook
Law said TikTok has introduced more than 50 default safety features for users under 16, including a one-hour daily screen-time limit and a 10 p.m. reminder encouraging teenagers to stop using the app. Although users can continue browsing, the prompts are designed to discourage excessive use.
The platform also restricts direct messaging for younger users and does not allow those under 16 to buy or sell products through TikTok Shop.
“All of these are little default aspects, little nudges to make sure that people have a balanced and healthy relationship with our app,” Law said. “That works in our interests, because if people are using it too much and are burnt out, they’re not going to get value from it.”
He added that TikTok invested $2 billion in trust and safety last year, reflecting the company’s growing focus on moderation, parental controls and product safeguards.
A Broader Industry Reckoning
The debate extends well beyond TikTok as regulators scrutinise how major social media platforms affect children’s wellbeing.
Earlier this year, TikTok settled a high-profile lawsuit alleging that platforms including Instagram and YouTube contributed to mental health problems among young users through addictive features such as infinite scrolling. In the same case, a jury later found Meta and Google negligent for failing to warn users about risks associated with their platforms.
As governments consider tougher age limits and new accountability rules, social media companies face growing pressure to demonstrate that user engagement can coexist with meaningful protections for younger audiences.
