The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that the TikTok For You algorithm violates the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Union’s content and platform rules.
The Commission’s concern centers on how the recommendation system personalizes the feed: the more a user engages with a particular type of video, the more similar content the platform serves. EU regulators argue that this design can create “rabbit holes,” where endless repetition of certain themes—such as sadness, isolation, or body —poses risks to users’ mental health, particularly for vulnerable adults and minors.
What the Commission Found
According to the preliminary findings, TikTok did not adequately assess how its algorithm could steer users into these repetitive cycles and endanger their wellbeing. The Commission also said the company failed to put sufficient safeguards in place to reduce those risks. One specific shortcoming cited: when a user taps “not interested” on a video, that action may not be enough to meaningfully change the content feed.
The regulator outlined several changes it believes TikTok must make to the For You page:
- Rely more on users’ explicit preferences.
- Disable viewing time as an indicator for recommending content.
- Increase the accessibility and usability of user controls.
- Regularly test the algorithm.
These are preliminary conclusions. If TikTok does not resolve the matter to the Commission’s satisfaction and the EU confirms the findings, parent company ByteDance could face a fine of up to six percent of its annual global revenue.
TikTok’s Response
TikTok has rejected the allegations. In a statement to Reuters, the company said the Commission’s claims are “fundamentally inaccurate” and misrepresent both the platform’s architecture and its dedication to user safety. TikTok added that it has a strong record of protecting its community while giving users direct and intuitive control over their content experience.
Part of a Wider EU Investigation
The preliminary findings are part of a broader EU investigation into TikTok that began in early 2024. Earlier this year, the Commission said TikTok breached the DSA through what it described as “addictive design.” In July, officials also raised concerns that the platform failed to protect the privacy of minors’ accounts.
The scrutiny reflects a wider trend: regulators around the world are paying closer attention to social media companies, especially regarding how their platforms affect children. This week, Google, Meta, and TikTok sued California over a state law that bans social media companies from allowing users under 16 to access potentially “addictive features.”
For TikTok, the immediate focus is the For You page. The Commission’s preliminary view is that the current design does not do enough to prevent harmful repetition, and that changes to user controls and recommendation signals are necessary to comply with the DSA.
