New "TikTok" Service Raises Concerns

The new "TikTok Lite" application is raising concerns for the European Union and France, fearing that the principle it is based on may encourage addictive behavior among young people. The app rewards users who spend a certain number of minutes daily watching videos with virtual coins that they can exchange for gift cards.

According to Al Bayan newspaper, the European Commission requested clarification from TikTok yesterday within 24 hours regarding the risks associated with launching its new app in France and Spain.

This official request comes within the framework of the new European legislation on digital services (DSA), concerning the potential impact of the new rewards program on the protection of minors and the mental health of users, especially the potential encouragement of addictive behavior, according to the European Commission.

The TikTok Lite app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, was launched quietly at the end of March, rewarding users with virtual coins if they log in daily for ten days and spend time watching videos (maximum 60 to 85 minutes daily), as well as if they perform certain actions, such as liking videos and following content creators.

These virtual coins can then be exchanged for gift cards on partner websites, such as Amazon.

An information science and communication professor at the University of Lorraine in eastern France says that the principle of turning platforms into something resembling games is a well-known and problematic phenomenon that can lead to dependency.

The social network has reminded on several occasions that only individuals aged 18 or older can collect virtual coins and that it implements measures to verify the age of users.

TikTok stated that verification measures include taking a photo with an ID card, recording personal videos, or authorizing a bank card, which are necessary to convert virtual currencies into purchase vouchers.

Hypocrisy

However, the company faces difficulty in convincing users of its new service. Cordier explains, "It's the height of hypocrisy," as "they know very well that circumventing (verification rules) will be possible."

A lecturer in digital marketing at the Paris Business School Institute, Maria Merkanti Gueran, says, "It's very difficult to verify age. You can always use your parents' bank card."

French Minister of State for Digital Affairs, Marina Ferrari, said yesterday that the European Commission's request for information "is moving in the right direction." She expressed "concern" following the launch of "TikTok Lite."

The ministry is examining "with the utmost attention the user interface mechanisms" of the application described as "suspicious drift," at a time when France has begun to "think about screen time," the time users, especially young people, spend in front of screens, according to the minister.

TikTok, which focuses mainly on dancing or musical videos, has succeeded in attracting more than 1.5 billion users worldwide but has been accused for years in the United States and Europe of distracting young people by focusing on superficial content.

TikTok confirmed that it is in direct contact with the European Commission regarding TikTok Lite and intends to respond. It is under investigation launched by the Commission in February due to alleged failures in protecting minors under the Digital Services Act.

This raises doubts about the timing of this launch, which seems like a "provocation" according to Maria Merkanti Gueran.

Interaction

TikTok primarily seeks to attract new users and combat stagnation in user growth in Europe, according to the American "Information" website, which obtained an internal document from the company.

In Europe, the app is available on only 13% of Android devices, compared to 37% for Instagram and 59% for Facebook, according to the same source.

Maria Merkanti Gueran says, "A social network that does not grow dies."

Through the new rewards system, TikTok also aims to improve user interaction, which is essential in this sector.

Merkanti Gueran emphasizes that "its advertising credibility is at stake because brands do not invest in networks with low interaction rates."

She indicates that "TikTok Lite will almost artificially increase this interaction," noting that the social network already performs well in this area.

However, the interaction rate is trending downwards on social networks, according to the expert, who points out that this interaction starts very strong but ends up stagnating.

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