Irish media watchdog launches probes into TikTok, LinkedIn

DUBLIN, Dec 2 Ireland's media authority has initiated investigations into TikTok and LinkedIn amid concerns over the accessibility and anonymity of their illegal content reporting tools, particularly regarding child sexual abuse material.

The regulator is acting under its new responsibility to monitor compliance of Ireland-based platforms with the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigations will examine potential breaches of specific DSA requirements. Many major tech companies have their European headquarters located in Ireland. Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 6% of a company's annual revenue.

The inquiries into TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, and Microsoft's LinkedIn, follow a review of how online platforms manage user reports of unlawful content. "For these platforms, there is reason to believe that reporting tools may not be easily accessible or intuitive, do not permit anonymous reporting of child sexual abuse content as mandated by the DSA, and the interface design may discourage users from flagging illegal content," stated John Evans, Ireland's digital services commissioner.

Evans noted that several other platforms have made significant improvements to their reporting systems after engagement with the regulator. Additional information has been requested from some providers, and further regulatory measures remain possible.

This marks the regulator's second DSA-related investigation, following its initial probe into the social media platform X last month.

The EU's Digital Services Act targets major tech companies, requiring them to implement effective measures to prevent the distribution of illegal and harmful content across their platforms.

Author: Sophia Brooks