TikTok asked about risks of its new version

BRUSSELS: ByteD­ance’s TikTok has been given 24 hours to provide a risk assessment on its new app TikTok Lite launched this month in France and Spain because of concerns about its potential impact on children and users’ mental health, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The move by EU industry chief Thierry Breton under EU tech rules comes two months after he opened an investigation into TikTok over possible breaches of the law.

TikTok should have done a risk assessment on the new app before launching it in the 27-country EU, the Commission said.

The Commission pointed to the potential impact of the new “Task and Reward Lite” programme on the protection of minors, as well as on the mental health of users, in particular in relation to the potential stimulation of addictive behaviour.

TikTok Lite, aimed at users aged 18+, has a “Reward Programme” that allows them to earn points while performing certain tasks on the platform such as watching videos, liking content, following creators or inviting friends to join.