Commission accepts TikTok's commitments on advertising transparency under the Digital Services Act

The European Commission has accepted TikTok's commitments regarding advertising transparency, a move mandated by the Digital Services Act (DSA) to increase platform accountability. This decision follows an investigation and preliminary findings from May 2025, addressing concerns about how ads are presented and targeted on the platform. The commitment ensures a higher level of transparency for advertisements on TikTok, aligning with the EU's broader goals for digital governance. TikTok's commitments involve providing the full content of advertisements, including URLs, and updating its advertising repository within 24 hours. The platform will also disclose the targeting criteria selected by advertisers, alongside aggregated user data such as gender, age, and location. Furthermore, TikTok will introduce improved search options and filters to enable easier access to advertising information for users and researchers. These steps are designed to help detect potentially harmful advertising content. This decision impacts regulators, researchers, and civil society, empowering them to identify and address issues such as scams, illegal product advertisements, and coordinated disinformation campaigns. The DSA aims to regulate online platforms and e-commerce, ensuring a safer and more transparent digital environment for European citizens. The implementation of the DSA reflects the EU's commitment to digital sovereignty. The DSA requires platforms to maintain accessible and searchable ad repositories, which are crucial for detecting and combating harmful content online. These commitments from TikTok represent a step forward in ensuring compliance with the DSA and promoting greater accountability within the digital ecosystem. Further enforcement actions and updates to these policies can be expected.