‘Addictive’ TikTok charged with breaching EU rules

TikTok was charged on Friday with breaching EU online content rules over what the bloc’s regulator said were its addictive features and was told to change the design of its app or risk a fine of as much as 6% of owner ByteDance’s global turnover.

The EU watchdog’s charges focus on TikTok’s addictive design which includes features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and its highly personalised recommender system.

TikTok, whose algorithm is driven by the understanding of a user’s interest and has been key to the social media app’s global success, criticised the European Commission charges.

The regulatory move underscores the European Union’s crackdown on Big Tech which has drawn criticism from the U.S. government over censorship and led to threats of tariffs.

The Commission set out its charges after a year-long investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA) which requires large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content.

“The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings,” a TikTok spokesperson said.

The Commission, which acts as the EU tech enforcer, cited the platform’s generation of new content to constantly reward users which fuels the urge to keep scrolling and shift users’ brains into autopilot mode as an example of an addictive feature.

The EU regulator said TikTok did not adequately assess how these features could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of its users, including children and vulnerable adults.

It accused TikTok of disregarding important indicators of compulsive use of the app, such as the time that minors spend on it at night and the frequency with which users open the app.