The European Union has given TikTok a tight deadline to submit a thorough risk assessment for its newly launched Lite app in France and Spain. This comes amidst growing concerns about the potential impact of the app on children and users’ mental well-being, as announced by the European Commission. This is not the first time TikTok has faced scrutiny from the European Union. Neither is it the first time a country threatened TikTok with a ban.
TikTok’s latest product, the rewards-focused TikTok Lite app, hit the markets in both countries this month, allowing users aged 18 and above to earn points for rewards like vouchers or gift cards.
The Commission stated that TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, should have conducted this risk assessment before the app’s launch and now requires additional details. This inquiry primarily revolves around the potential effects of the new app, particularly concerning the possibility of promoting addictive behavior, according to the Commission’s statement.
This request for information was made under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a recently enacted legislation imposing strict regulations on 22 major online platforms globally, including TikTok. It’s important to note that this demand is just the first step in the process and does not imply immediate punitive action against TikTok. Any further action would depend on the adequacy of TikTok’s response to the EU’s inquiries.
TikTok has assured compliance with the Commission’s directive. A TikTok spokesperson stated that the company had already been in direct contact with the commission regarding this product and would respond to the request for information.
In February, Brussels initiated a formal investigation under the DSA into TikTok’s alleged breaches of its obligations to protect minors online, particularly focusing on the company’s efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of social media on young users.
The Commission has previously requested information from TikTok on various concerns, including the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence ahead of the upcoming EU elections.
Recall that the U.S. House of Representatives provided TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, approximately six months to sell off its U.S. assets or confront a nationwide ban. This action was due to concerns regarding national security. The bill passed with bipartisan support, represents a broader trend of addressing security risks posed by various technologies, including TikTok.
However, there were a lot of divergent opinions, particularly among younger demographics who utilize the platform for political expression. Uncertainty looms over TikTok’s future across the globe, with questions surrounding the feasibility of divesting its assets within the stipulated timeframe given by the U.S. government and the potential enforcement challenges of a ban.
Australia, Estonia, the UK, EU institutions, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have all taken measures to ensure the TikTok ban due to security concerns. Several other countries, including India, Norway, and Nepal, have either banned TikTok or are considering bans due to concerns about national security and data privacy.
Starting a diet is easy; staying on a diet is another story. Free for Android and iOS, My Diet Coach can help you stay motivated and on track with its personal cheerleader approach to dieting. My Diet Coach is more about keeping you motivated than worrying about the nitty-gritty details of your actual diet and exercise plan. The app lets you set up automated text reminders to help keep you on track, such as “take my healthy snacks with me before I leave for work,” or “don’t eat five chocolate bars before bed.” The app also has a section for adding motivational photos (of yourself or of anything that inspires you to lose weight), a tips section for combating emotional eating and diet slip-ups, and daily challenges (such as drinking eight glasses of water) to help you stay healthy. This app is a little cheesy, but don’t knock the power of little nudges throughout the day. My Diet Coach’s reminders will make you think twice about eating that extra cookie, and will help you remember to stop at the health food store on the way home from work. The free version of My Diet Coach has all the motivational tools, but if you want more functionality—such as the ability to log and track food and exercise—you can upgrade to the Pro version of the app for $4. 
Fooducate is a useful app if you need a quick snapshot of a food’s general nutritional value, but ShopWell takes food look-up one step further. ShopWell is a free app that rates foods based on your personal profile, taking into account lifestyle choices, dietary needs, and allergies. ShopWell asks you to first fill out a comprehensive nutrition profile, including which nutrients, minerals, and vitamins are important in your diet, as well as which nutritional pitfalls (such as artificial sweeteners or refined grains) you want to avoid. The app also asks which foods you’re allergic to or cannot otherwise tolerate. Then, the app takes this information and rates foods based on your information. ShopWell gives each food a score from 1 to 100 (100 is the highest), and tells you whether the food is a strong match, a medium match, or a weak match for your profile. You can click on the score to find out why the food is a strong/medium/weak match—for example, Bridgford Beef Jerky is a weak match for me because it has lots of added sugar. ShopWell also shows nutrition information and ingredients for each food, as well as suggestions that are similar but “better” for you based on your ShopWell profile. ShopWell is an excellent app for tracking specific aspects of your diet, such as nutrients or sugar intake, which is great for diabetics. The app lacks a built-in calorie-counter, but it does have some nifty extra features such as lists (add favorite foods to lists for future reference), popular foods (find foods that are popular with people who have similar profiles to yours), and missions and achievements to keep you motivated. 
If you’re not sure where to start with your diet plan, Nutrino is the app for you. This free iOS app is like a personal nutritionist in your pocket. Nutrino is a food recommendation app that creates a custom, personalized daily menu for you based on your profile, preferences, and goals. Like ShopWell, Nutrino needs some personal information to create your custom meal plan. The initial profile setup includes answering basic questions (gender, age, height, weight, general activity level) and setting goals such as target weight and diet intensity. Nutrino also asks how large you like each meal to be, how you like to prepare each meal, and whether you have any special restrictions, such as gluten-free or vegetarian. Taking into account your profile, preferences, and nutritional goals, Nutrino creates a daily meal plan for you. The meal plans includes nutritional information, recipes, and a grocery list with all the necessary ingredients. If you don’t like a dish Nutrino has picked for you, just tap it and tap Change Dish to find a similarly healthy replacement . Swipe up to scroll through your meal plan, and swipe down to see a summary of your day, including protein, carb, fiber, and fat intake, as well as daily calories. Swipe to the left to see future days’ plans. In one sense, Nutrino is more difficult to use than other diet apps, since its success banks on your ability to follow its meal plan to a T. On the other hand, if you’re willing to put in the legwork and you want an app that will do everything for you (including counting calories), Nutrino is worth a look. 
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