Italy Imposes $11 Million Fine on TikTok for 'French Scar' Challenge Safety Concerns

Italy's competition and consumer authority has fined TikTok €10 million after a probe into algorithmic safety concerns, particularly related to the "French scar" challenge. The authority criticized TikTok for failing to monitor content threatening the safety of minors and vulnerable individuals and for not fully complying with its own platform guidelines. TikTok disputes the decision, but faces ongoing scrutiny from the European Commission and potential penalties under the Digital Services Act. Lawmakers in Europe and the U.S. are also raising concerns about the platform's tracking and profiling of users.