The European Union is opening an investigation into the social network TikTok, into whether the platform violated online content rules aimed at protecting children and ensuring transparency.
TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, could be severely punished if it is found to have broken the rules.
EU industry chief Thierry Breton says the investigation will examine the design of TikTok's allegedly addictive program, the way the social network verifies users' age and privacy settings.
He stated that the focus of the investigation will also be the "rabbit hole" effect, or the phenomenon when users follow algorithmic recommendations for videos that are more extreme than the videos they have previously watched.
A company that does not comply with the law could face an outright ban in Europe, or fines of up to six percent of its global revenue.
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