The European Commission has accepted a series of binding commitments from TikTok designed to ensure full compliance with the Digital Services Act’s advertising-transparency requirements. The decision follows months of engagement between the Commission and the platform and resolves the concerns raised in the Commission’s investigation and preliminary findings from May 2025.
TikTok has committed to providing complete transparency around the advertisements shown on its services. This includes supplying the full content of each advertisement exactly as it appears in users’ feeds, along with the associated URLs. The company will also update its advertising repository within a maximum of 24 hours, improving the availability and timeliness of information. In addition, TikTok will disclose the targeting criteria chosen by advertisers and aggregated data about the users reached, enabling researchers to analyse how ads are delivered and targeted across the EU. The platform will also introduce enhanced search functions to make advertisements easier to find.
The Digital Services Act requires large online platforms to maintain accessible, searchable repositories of all advertisements they host. Such transparency is considered essential for regulators, researchers, and civil society to detect scams, illegal or inappropriate advertising, and coordinated information campaigns, including those connected to elections.
TikTok is required to implement the commitments as soon as possible, with deadlines ranging from two to twelve months depending on the measure. The Commission will closely monitor TikTok’s compliance with the commitments, as well as with its wider obligations under the DSA.
The commitments address only the advertising-transparency elements of the Commission’s proceedings. The investigation continues in other areas, including concerns related to TikTok’s design and algorithmic systems, age-assurance mechanisms, data access for researchers, and obligations to protect minors. A separate inquiry launched in December 2024 into the platform’s handling of election-related risks also remains ongoing.
Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen welcomed TikTok’s cooperation, stating that transparent advertising practices are essential for trust and integrity online and for protecting young users from harm. She emphasised that the Commission’s goal is compliance and that it remains ready to accept solid commitments when platforms constructively engage with regulators.