TikTok is addictive, says EU. Platform faces sanctions

On Friday, the European regulatory authority accused TikTok of violating EU rules on online content due to the addictive design of its features and ordered it to make changes. Otherwise, the platform faces a fine of up to six percent of the global turnover of its owner, ByteDance.

The allegations mainly concern features such as infinite scrolling, automatic video playback, push notifications, and a highly personalized recommendation system.

According to the Commission, TikTok has not sufficiently assessed the risks of these features to the physical and mental health of users, especially children and vulnerable individuals, and has not implemented appropriate measures such as effective parental control tools or time management features.

The Commission expects TikTok to modify the design of its services in Europe, for example by limiting endless scrolling or introducing screen breaks. The platform has rejected the allegations. The case is part of a broader EU crackdown on big tech companies, with similar investigations also targeting other apps.

The European Commission reached its preliminary findings after a year-long investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires large platforms to limit illegal and harmful content.

(reuters, max)