The European Union accused TikTok on Friday of breaching the Digital Services Act over the harmful effects of its For You feed. European officials stated that the platform traps users in repetitive cycles by continuously serving similar video clips based on past views and likes.
Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission Executive Vice President who oversees tech sovereignty, addressed the issue in a statement. She said that the algorithm leads users down inescapable rabbit holes every time they scroll or interact with content on the application.
Preliminary findings from the commission indicated that TikTok must improve its efforts to safeguard user well-being, particularly regarding minors. Investigators reported that the algorithmic design results in the endless exposure of individuals to material concerning sadness, isolation, and body image.
Brussels acknowledged that TikTok had implemented some modifications to address earlier risks pointed to by regulators. However, the commission concluded that these adjustments remain insufficient.
TikTok strongly rejected the conclusions reached by the European Union. A company spokesperson stated that the findings are fundamentally inaccurate and distort both the platform architecture and the company commitment to user safety.
The tech giant maintained that it holds a strong record of protecting its community while providing users with direct and intuitive control over their content experience. Regulators warned that the Chinese-owned platform could face financial penalties of up to six percent of its global turnover if it fails to resolve the issue.
The company will receive an opportunity to formally respond before the commission issues a final decision. This action follows a February ruling in which the EU determined that TikTok failed to adequately assess how addictive features could harm the physical and mental health of users and minors.
While the February investigation centered on notification impacts, the latest directive targets the core algorithm itself, according to a senior European official. In July, the bloc also accused TikTok of exposing children to dangers such as cyberbullying and predatory behavior, and similarly ordered Meta to modify Facebook and Instagram feeds under the same digital legislation.
