TikTok policy chief says platform spent $2 billion on trust and safety last year amid EU scrutiny

According to CNBC, TikTok policy chief Ali Law said the company spent $2 billion on trust and safety last year as the European Union moves toward restricting children’s access to social media. Law said TikTok has more than 50 default safety settings for users under 16, including a one-hour screen-time limit and a 10 p.m. prompt encouraging users to take a break, along with restrictions on direct messages and selling on TikTok Shop for anyone under 16. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday the bloc will press ahead with measures to curb children’s social media use, including exploring an age limit for platforms, and has previously said the EU will take action against TikTok’s “addictive design,” citing features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay and push notifications. The report also noted Australia legally enforced a ban in December, and the U.K., France, Greece and Spain have announced similar restrictions.