France Eyes TikTok: The French Parliament Harshly Criticizes TikTok: "One of the Worst Social Networks"

After six months of hearings and investigations, the parliamentary committee established to examine TikTok's impact on minors' mental health submitted its report on Thursday, September 11. After hearing statements from 178 experts, stakeholders, and witnesses, and collecting over 30,000 citizen opinions, the rapporteur Raoul Miller wrote a strongly worded report that proposed 43 recommendations.

The French newspaper Le Monde stated on Thursday that the language used in the report was as severe as it could be. The report states that TikTok is "one of the worst social networks attacking our teenagers." Words like "lawless," "repeat offender," and "greedy" are also used to describe TikTok in the report.

Rapporteur Miller told Le Monde that TikTok "does not care at all about the mental health of our young people." Arthur de La Porte, the chairman of the committee, said in the introduction of the report that TikTok "knowingly exposes our children and young people to toxic, dangerous, and addictive content." On Thursday, De La Porte also announced that he had referred the case to the Paris prosecutor's office, citing that TikTok "endangers the lives of its users."

Unprecedented Investigation, Conclusions Point to Platform Uncontrollability

Le Monde pointed out that the scale of the investigation by the French parliamentary committee was unprecedented, with 178 experts, scholars, platform representatives, and victims testifying, and more than 30,000 public feedbacks collected. The report states that TikTok's psychological impact on teenagers is "devastating." It not only exacerbates existing problems such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal tendencies, but may also induce new mental health issues, even "accelerating self-destructive behavior." Girls suffer more negative effects than boys, and sleep deprivation, decreased attention, and learning difficulties have become common phenomena. The committee warned that TikTok's algorithm deliberately amplifies extreme content "to firmly capture users' attention," leading to an overflow of violent, sexist, and racist content, as well as the spread of false information about mental health.

Accusations Against TikTok for "Evasiveness and Denial of Issues"

Chairman De La Porte condemned TikTok for its lack of transparency, refusal to disclose its budget for content moderation, and, during multiple hearings, TikTok executives "evaded and denied the issues." The report states that TikTok has long been aware of the risks on the platform but "has not taken sufficient action."

TikTok responded quickly, claiming that the committee "distorted the facts" and blamed TikTok for societal problems, emphasizing that they have already introduced more than 70 protective features for minors. However, French lawmakers were not convinced, pointing out that TikTok has the technical capability but has delayed implementing age verification measures, accusing TikTok of "deliberate delay."

43 Recommendations: From Age Restrictions to Algorithm Regulation

The French parliamentary committee's report proposed 43 recommendations, including banning minors under 15 from using any social media platforms, enforcing diversified content recommendations with randomness, curbing suicide promotion and dangerous challenges, and strengthening the enforcement powers of the EU and French Arcom regulatory bodies. The report also calls for introducing "digital neglect crimes" for parents, holding them legally accountable for failing to fulfill their protective duties. To help teenagers break free from online dependence, the report proposes a "digital curfew" from 10 PM to 8 AM, prohibiting mobile phone use in high school campuses, and minimizing the digital use in classrooms.

The investigation also revealed the "collective helplessness" of public institutions facing tech giants. The report emphasized that this is not just a technological issue, but also a social and public health challenge, requiring cross-party collaboration.

Le Monde believes that the report of the investigative committee not only focuses on TikTok but also aims to set rules for the entire industry. As Chairman De La Porte stated, "We are racing against time; every month we delay, more young people may be sacrificed." This investigation serves as a warning against the uncontrolled ecosystem of social media and marks a new beginning for France's regulation of digital giants.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1843047077067911/

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