The European Commission is poised to potentially enact the suspension of TikTok’s Lite rewards program, a feature that compensates users for their time spent on the platform, as early as this Thursday.

Commissioner Thierry Breton has criticized the program as “toxic and addictive,” particularly when utilized by underage individuals. He said:

“We stand ready to trigger… interim measures including the suspension of the TikTok Lite reward programme”

However, TikTok has been given until Wednesday to mount a defense of the rewards program, failing which it faces the imminent threat of suspension starting from April 25th.

Expressing its disappointment, TikTok responded to the Commission’s decision, highlighting the importance of the feature to its platform.

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Furthermore, the Commission has initiated formal proceedings against TikTok to evaluate potential breaches of EU legislation.

In accordance with laws implemented last year, major platforms such as TikTok are mandated to conduct thorough risk assessments before implementing significant modifications to their services.

Last week, the Commission requested TikTok’s risk assessment pertaining to the Task & Rewards program.

However, the social media company failed to meet the submission deadline. Concerns have been raised regarding the program’s potential adverse effects on users’ mental well-being, highlighting the importance of regulatory oversight in safeguarding public health.

Just recently, TikTok unveiled its “Task and Rewards” initiative in France and Spain, marking a significant addition to the platform’s functionality.

This innovative feature is exclusively available on TikTok Lite, a streamlined variant of the primary social media application, designed to consume fewer resources in terms of data usage and storage space on users’ mobile devices.

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The essence of the “Task and Rewards” program lies in its mechanism, wherein users are incentivized to participate actively on the platform.

By watching videos and engaging with content, users have the opportunity to accrue modest earnings, equivalent to a few cents per day.

This novel approach aims to foster greater user engagement while simultaneously rewarding users for their time and interactions within the TikTok community.