Since TikTok was designated under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) last year, we have collaboratively engaged with the European Commission to explain how TikTok operates and reach a mutual understanding of our applicable DMA obligations. We have always been clear that it is our duty to comply with relevant obligations under the DMA until legal questions on our designation appeal are resolved. We have since taken a number of steps to comply with the DMA ahead of 6 March, including some of the measures highlighted below.

Enhanced data portability

Effective data portability aligns with the ideas of market contestability that TikTok supports.

TikTok users could already download a copy of their posts, and easily share them to other platforms. TikTok's Download Your Data tool also already allows users to request a copy of their TikTok data for access and portability purposes.

TikTok has now launched a new Data Portability API. This will allow registered developers to request user permission to transfer a copy of their TikTok data. European Economic Area (EEA) users will be able to authorise either a one-time or recurring transfer, and will be able to select specific categories of data or their full archive, allowing for continuous and real-time data portability.

We have also improved the speed and functionality of TikTok’s Download Your Data tool, which allows both personal and business accounts to export and download relevant profile data and posts, and added functionality allowing users to select which data categories they wish to export. These changes are rolling out now to users in the EEA, with plans to roll out globally in the near future.

These data portability tools have been built while ensuring robust privacy and security safeguards are in place to protect users, and offering them as much control over their data as possible. TikTok believes our users benefit from both competition and control of their data, and is pleased to be offering these portability solutions to EEA users.

Providing business users with data

TikTok already offers a variety of in-app and web analytics to help our business accounts measure their performance and effectiveness. This includes an Accounts API where businesses can access data related to their TikTok accounts. Furthermore, our Business Accounts users will also be able to benefit from our enhanced data portability solutions. To encourage further improvements, TikTok will also create its own webform for its Business Accounts, enabling our users to provide feedback on DMA-related features and tools and for future developments.

Our obligations

TikTok is only designated in the “online social networking services” core platform service and the changes we have been rolling out to our platform reflect the relevant obligations that apply to TikTok.

As we have made clear, we fully support the goals of the DMA, but believe that our designation risks undermining the DMA's own stated goal by protecting actual gatekeepers from newer competitors like TikTok and will continue our legal challenge to the underlying designation.