EU regulators target TikTok over addictive design

European Union regulators say TikTok’s design may violate the Digital Services Act, raising the risk of heavy fines and forced changes to how the app works. The European Commission shared its preliminary findings on Thursday, stating that TikTok’s features could harm users’ mental and physical wellbeing.

The Commission identified several features of TikTok, which included its infinite scrolling function, its autoplay feature, its push notification system, and its system which delivers highly customised content suggestions to users.

According to the regulator, these elements may push users into compulsive behaviour by constantly rewarding them with new content.

The Commission said this can reduce self-control and place users in what it described as an autopilot mode, especially among younger audiences.

The European Union regulators state that TikTok needs to improve its existing parental controls and screen time features. The company must enhance its existing features to provide better user protection while implementing restrictions on endless scrolling and modifying its content recommendation system.

The design of TikTok causes potential harm because the platform has failed to establish sufficient protective measures. The company faces a financial penalty which can reach 6% of its worldwide yearly income if it violates the Digital Services Act.

The investigation, which began in February 2024, has already accused TikTok of failing to provide sufficient information about its advertising practices while blocking researchers from accessing public research data. TikTok responded to the findings by stating that the Commission's conclusions present a completely incorrect and unfounded description of the platform.