The European Commission on Monday accepted a set of binding commitments from TikTok aimed at bringing the platform into compliance with EU rules on advertising
Following months of investigation and dialogue, TikTok agreed to overhaul its advertising repository to ensure that users, researchers, and regulators have full visibility over the ads running on the platform. The commitments address concerns raised by the Commission in its preliminary findings published in May 2025.
Under the agreement, TikTok will display the full content of advertisements as they appear in users’ feeds, including the destination URLs. The company also pledged to update its ad repository within a maximum of 24 hours, significantly speeding up access to information.
In addition, TikTok will disclose advertisers’ targeting criteria and provide aggregated data on the audience reached, including gender, age group, and EU Member State. New search tools and filters will also be introduced to make ads easier to find.
The DSA requires online platforms to maintain public, searchable databases of all advertisements. These repositories are seen as key tools for detecting online scams, illegal or age-inappropriate ads, misleading content, and coordinated influence campaigns, particularly during elections.
Implementation and monitoring
TikTok must begin implementing the measures immediately, with full implementation required within timelines ranging from two to 12 months, depending on the obligation. The Commission said it will closely monitor compliance under Article 71 of the DSA and ensure TikTok meets its wider regulatory obligations.
Ongoing investigations
The Commission opened formal proceedings against TikTok in February 2024 to assess potential breaches of the DSA. Beyond advertising transparency, the investigation also covers concerns related to the platform’s algorithmic systems, age verification, data access for researchers, and the protection of minors. Preliminary findings on those issues were adopted in October 2025, while parts of the investigation remain ongoing.
Separately, in December 2024, the Commission launched another probe into TikTok’s handling of risks linked to elections and civic discourse, which is still under investigation. Photo by Solen Feyissa, Wikimedia commons.