The European Commission said on Friday that preliminary findings show TikTok’s “addictive design” breaches EU law. It identified features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and a highly personalized recommendation system as contributing to that assessment.
The commission said TikTok had not properly assessed how those features could damage the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults. It warned the continuous stream of content can put users’ brains into “autopilot mode,” encouraging compulsive behaviour and weakening self-control.
To comply with EU rules, the platform would need to change its core design by disabling key addictive features, introducing effective screen-time breaks—including at night—and adjusting its recommender system.
European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen said social media addiction can have “detrimental effects” on children and teenagers and that Europe will enforce legislation to protect children and citizens online.
TikTok rejected the findings as “categorically false.” The company has the right to respond; if the commission’s conclusions are confirmed, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of ByteDance’s global annual turnover. A TikTok spokesperson said the company would challenge the findings by all available means.
The action comes as the EU enforces powerful rules for tech firms under the Digital Services Act, which took effect in 2022. In December, Elon Musk’s X was fined €120 million for DSA transparency violations, a decision that drew criticism from the US government. Other platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, have also faced DSA-related charges.
Edited by: Zac Crellin