The European Commission has accused TikTok of breaking the bloc’s online-content rules by building a recommendation system that traps users in “rabbit holes” of similar videos. Brussels claims this design can damage the mental health of children and vulnerable people. The preliminary findings put TikTok at risk of fines worth up to 6% of parent ByteDance’s global annual turnover.
Why the algorithm is in Brussels’ crosshairs
This is the first time the Commission has found a platform’s recommendation system itself to violate the Digital Services Act (DSA). This EU law requires large online platforms to address harmful and illegal content. A Commission official who spoke to POLITICO anonymously said regulators are now taking a closer look at how these systems keep users engaged.
The complaint focuses on how TikTok’s “For You” feed works. The Commission says the more users watch or like certain videos, the more similar videos TikTok shows them.
The EU argues that a steady stream of videos about sadness, loneliness or body image can increase anxiety, hurt self-esteem and make eating disorders worse. One official told POLITICO that the investigation focused on mental health because that was where the evidence was strongest.
EU’s preferred fixes, and why it says TikTok’s failed
TikTok has already made changes meant to soften the effect. However, the EU has found these fixes ineffective. Regulators want TikTok to base its recommendations more on users’ stated preferences than on what they watch.
The Commission also raised concerns about TikTok’s “I’m not interested” button, saying it “may not be enough to change the content feed,” according to AFP. Regulators want TikTok to stop using watch time to suggest videos. They also want the social media giant to make its settings easier to use and check its algorithm regularly.
One official also noted that the DSA requires platforms to offer a feed that does not use personal data to recommend content, but only 0.2% of TikTok users choose it.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen claimed that every time users scroll or like a video, TikTok shows them more similar content. This makes it harder to break the cycle, according to the European Commission . She added that TikTok needs to do more to protect users, particularly children.
TikTok’s fifth case and the wider EU crackdown
The EU executive has now accused TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company, of breaking its rules for the fifth time. However, it has not fined the platform yet.
In February, regulators accused TikTok of having “addictive design” features and not doing enough to protect children. TikTok said these claims were “categorically false.” Then in July, the EU brought another charge, saying the app exposed children to cyberbullying and predatory behavior.
Before any penalties are handed down, TikTok can look at the evidence and suggest ways to fix the problems. This would not be the first time the company resolved an issue: it previously settled a DSA case about ad transparency by agreeing to make changes.
It’s not just TikTok facing this pressure. The Commission is also looking into similar issues on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, and it ordered Meta in July to reduce “addictive design.”
This close attention matches legal battles in other countries. In September, TikTok paid Alabama at least $100 million to stay out of court and agreed to set time limits for teenage users.
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