ISTANBUL 

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against Chinese social media platform TikTok after preliminary investigation on breaching the bloc’s digital services act. 

According to a commission statement, TikTok may have breach the act "in areas linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content."

Following the formal opening of proceedings, the commission will continue to collect evidence to take further enforcement steps, it said.

Commissioner Thierry Breton said on X on Monday: "Today we open an investigation into TikTok over suspected breach of transparency & obligations to protect minors. Addictive design & screen time limits Rabbit hole effect Age verification Default privacy settings."

He added that the commission is enforcing the act to make the internet safer for minors.