Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth? How EU Law Underenforcement Allows TikTok’s Violations of Minors’ Rights

Abstract For some time already, there have been concerns about TikTok’s business practices and their compliance with EU law. Different market investigations found out that Terms of Service do not comply the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Contract Directive or Consumers Rights they also infringe General Data Protection Regulation Audiovisual Media Services Directive. This is particularly problematic considering many children, a vulnerable category under applicable law, use TikTok on daily basis, which intensifies severity infringements. Although protection minors one policy objectives EU, this article argues enforcement structure deficient. In view infringing European Consumer Organization, BEUC, called for an EU-level coordinated action to Commission national authorities request align its consumer law Cooperation (CPC) Regulation. However, developments following BEUC’s call revealed CPC sufficiently effective. Ultimately, ongoing problems seemingly lenient interpretation application by allow continuation identified abusive misleading provide evidence institutional apparatus EU-wide data failing deliver. provides practical account these “too cooks spoil broth”—i.e., plethora rules, organizations, procedures involved in paradoxically lead ineffectiveness The paper takes reconstruction as blueprint discussing various options how existing general, particular, could should be improved light entry into Digital Act.