European Union regulators announced Friday that TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is accused of violating the EU's rules on digital content due to design features that may expose children to sex offenders or cyberbullying, putting the company at risk of a hefty fine.

These charges, labeled 'preliminary findings' under the Digital Services Act, which requires major tech companies to do more to combat illegal and harmful content, are the fourth set of charges brought against TikTok in two years.

The European Commission, the EU's tech enforcement body, said TikTok accounts do not meet the safety standards set out in the Digital Services Act.

It explained that the social media platform allows children to set their accounts to public, enabling others to view content and exposing them to the risk of cyberbullying or contact from abusers.

It noted that private accounts are also not safe for children, as they can be easily found through other users' follower and following lists, even by people who do not have a TikTok account.

The Commission said TikTok must adjust the default settings for minors' public accounts so that content is automatically visible only to TikTok users approved by the children.

TikTok said it would review the European Union's findings and work constructively with the regulator.