EU digital chief urges TikTok to quickly adopt new rules

European commissioner urged Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok to accelerate its adoption of new EU standards.

TikTok to accelerate its adoption of new EU standards. (REUTERS)

The European commissioner overseeing the digital market on Wednesday urged Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok to accelerate its adoption of new EU standards.

Strict new European rules on transparency, data privacy, child protection, disinformation and hate speech come into effect next month, and internet giants are racing to comply.

On Monday, TikTok conducted a "stress test" on its systems at it European headquarters in Dublin, to find out if it could adapt to comply with the EU Digital Services Act.

Afterwards, European Commissioner Thierry Breton called TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to hear how it went, warning him: "Now is time to accelerate to be fully compliant."

In June, Breton sent the same message to US platform Twitter after it performed a similar stress test, designed to check its own ability to moderate suspect content.

The DSA became law in November, but the web's 19 biggest players -- platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft -- have until August 25 to get in line.