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Two senators are demanding answers from TikTok regarding an experiment that disabled safety features for a portion of its users. The lawmakers have set a deadline for the company to explain the testing process and the impact of withholding these safeguards.
Disney has partnered with TikTok to allow creators to produce fan-made short-form videos featuring Disney properties, including Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar characters. These curated clips will appear on Disney+ within the new vertical “Verts” feed, giving TikTok users official access to Disney’s intellectual property for short-video content.
The European Commission has determined that TikTok’s platform breaches the Digital Services Act by failing to safeguard minors, citing features that could expose children to bullying, predators and privacy risks. The regulator says the company’s current approach does not provide adequate protection for users under the age of consent.
Ofcom has begun a formal investigation into TikTok’s child-safety measures. The regulator is examining whether the platform’s age-inference methods effectively protect minors and whether TikTok complies with the UK Online Safety Act. The inquiry focuses on the adequacy of TikTok’s safeguards for young users.
YouTube has settled a lawsuit alleging social-media harm to minors, doing so before a second California trial on the issue proceeds. The settlement leaves the case against other platforms—Meta, TikTok and Snap—unresolved, with those companies continuing as defendants in the ongoing litigation.
Florida has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging that the platform violates the state’s child-social-media law and consumer-protection statutes by allowing minors to access “X-rated” content. The suit claims TikTok failed to comply with regulations that ban certain material for users under the age of 18.
The Trump administration is set to receive $10 billion for brokering a deal involving TikTok. The agreement is part of a broader effort to address concerns over data security and foreign influence. The funds will be used to offset costs associated with the transition of the platform’s ownership.
TikTok now lets users who subscribe to Apple Music play full-length tracks directly within the app, using new “Play Full Song” and “Listening Party” features, so listeners don’t need to leave TikTok. The integration ensures that artists receive compensation for each full-song playback.
Indonesia will prohibit children under 16 from accessing a list of “high-risk” platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X and Roblox. The ban is set to take effect on March 28, restricting under-16 users from using these social-media services nationwide.
The European Commission has determined that TikTok’s “addictive design,” including its infinite-scroll feed and personalized recommendation engine, violates the Digital Services Act and must be altered or disabled. Regulators say the features foster compulsive use, particularly harming children’s physical and mental wellbeing, and warn that non-compliance could lead to fines.
TikTok has been blocking uploads of videos critical of ICE, with celebrities and other users reporting that their content is being suppressed. The company attributes the issue to technical problems, citing a power outage and noting that its U.S. entity has not updated its algorithm since the joint-venture announcement.