Viral thirst traps on social media are raising eyebrows… and alarm bells about budget cuts.TikTok’s bold and cheeky campaign, dubbed a “raunchy love letter” to the U.S. National Parks, uses humor, flirtation, and viral trends to rekindle public interest in these natural treasures. By blending irreverent storytelling with breathtaking visuals, the campaign aims to attract a younger, digitally-savvy audience who might not otherwise engage with the outdoors. This unexpected marketing twist is doing more than just making people laugh—it’s driving real conversations about conservation, encouraging tourism, and potentially helping to protect these parks for future generations.
Popular social media app TikTok has been charged by the European Commission with breaching EU online content rules, which marks the second formal proceeding from the commission since November of 2024. According to the commission’s statement, TikTok hasn’t complied with the Digital Service Act’s requirement that the app must publish a list of advertisements on the app. The repository lets users spot scam advertisements.
Aside from the details around the content of ads, the European Commission also said TikTok doesn’t share who the ads are meant to target or how they’re funded.
TikTok’s owner, ByteDance could owe up to 6% of TikTok’s global turnover, which refers to how much a business gets for a designated time period. That doesn’t include other penalty payments the commission could ask for. TikTok could also be put under extra supervision to make sure the app complies with the act. Representatives for TikTok can review and respond to the commission’s findings before action is taken.
The commission opened formal proceedings against TikTok last year under the same act, citing that TikTok didn’t “properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity,” for last year’s Romanian presidential election.
While TikTok doesn’t face these charges in the US, it’s still important for users to be on the watch for scams and advertisements on the app. If anything looks suspicious, report it right away. Tap the TikTok “Share” button, then tap “Report.” You’ll be given a list of reasons to select from, including “Fraud and Scams” as an option.
Representatives for TikTok and the European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
