Authorities in several countries also accuse TikTok of spying for the Chinese state. Bytedance, which owns TikTok, denies the allegations.
With more than a billion users, the TikTok app continues to struggle.
Italy said today that it will begin to investigate whether TikTok violates the country’s law and its own terms of use by allowing dangerous content that, among other things, encourages suicide and self-harm.
The Guardia di Finanza, a police authority specializing in Italian financial affairs, raided TikTok’s Italian headquarters in Milan today.
According to the Guardia di Finanza, TikTok does not provide the required tools to monitor and, if necessary, block dangerous content created by its users.
The Guardia di Finanza also accuses TikTok of using artificial intelligence to “condition people”, but does not specify what this means.
TikTok is suspected of spying for China
Among others, the United States, Canada, Denmark and the European Commission have banned the use of TikTok on official phones.
In Finland, too, the Government advises to remove the application from their devices.
The British broadcasting company BBC has also banned its employees from using TikTok.
Several studies have shown that the Chinese state has access to the information of TikTok users, i.e. more than a billion people.
Read more: Analysis: The noose around Tiktok is getting tighter – the hit app is no longer just a media for young people, but state leaders are also worried for a reason
The Chinese company Bytedance, which owns TikTok, denies the accusations.
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