The social network paid its most addicted users: the “Lite” rewards program permanently removed by TikTok

TikTok Lite allowed its users to get paid by watching videos (illustration). imageBROKER.com – imageBROKER/Infinity News Collection

TikTok, a subsidiary of the Chinese group ByteDance, has agreed to permanently withdraw its rewards program "TikTok Lite" within the European Union (EU) in order to comply with the bloc's regulation on digital services ("Digital Services Act, DSA), the European Commission announced on Monday.

TikTok Lite is a rewards program that encourages users to watch videos or react to content in exchange for points.

An addictive effect on users

After its launch in France and Spain, the EU had expressed concerns about the risks of an addictive effect on users, particularly children, and had required TikTok to undergo an immediate assessment. Under the DSA, major online platforms are required to report potential risks related to their new features to Brussels before their launch and must adopt effective measures to address the risks reported.

The European Commission said on Monday that TikTok had made legally binding commitments to withdraw its rewards program from the EU.

The social network has committed not to launch any other program that would circumvent this decision. “The available brain time of young Europeans is not a currency of exchange for social networks”, reacted on X the European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, welcoming the withdrawal of TikTok Lite “which could have had highly addictive consequences”.

In a press release, The French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communications, Arcom, has welcomed the withdrawal of TikTok Lite “which induced an increased risk of addiction, particularly for minors”.

An investigation is still ongoing

This withdrawal “testifies to the ability of the European Commission and national regulators to demand more responsible behavior from digital players”, it added. The European Commission said another investigation opened in February into whether TikTok breached online content rules to protect children and ensure transparent advertising was still ongoing.