OMM Newsroom
EU regulators have accused TikTok of breaching online safety rules, warning that its potentially addictive recommendation algorithm could harm users’ mental health, particularly that of children and teenagers.
Regulators said on Friday that TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover if the concerns are not addressed, AnewZ reports.
Social media companies are facing growing pressure to review their algorithms amid concerns about their effects on children’s mental health. Several governments have imposed restrictions on young users or are considering doing so.
The European Commission has set out its preliminary findings in the case against TikTok, accusing the platform of failing to take sufficient steps to mitigate risks posed by its recommendation system. Regulators said repeatedly showing users videos about sadness, isolation and body image could harm mental health, particularly when the algorithm continues to recommend similar content.
TikTok rejects the allegations
TikTok has strongly disputed the preliminary findings, defending its safety measures and how the platform works. “The Commission has presented a series of claims that are fundamentally inaccurate and misrepresent the design of our platform and our commitment to user safety,” the company said in a statement.
The company added: “We have a strong track record of protecting our community while giving users direct and intuitive ways to control their content experience.”
The Commission has called for significant changes to TikTok’s recommendation system. The regulator warned that the system’s design could trap users in what is known as a “rabbit hole,” where similar videos are shown in succession.
EU technology commissioner Henna Virkkunen said in a statement: “Every time a user scrolls through or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm offers them more similar content and takes users into ‘rabbit holes’ that can be difficult to escape.”
Regulators have recommended that TikTok redesign its “For You” feed, give greater weight to users’ stated preferences, make content-control tools easier to find and use, and regularly test its algorithm to assess potential risks.
Investigation conducted under the Digital Services Act
The preliminary findings are part of a broader investigation conducted under the EU’s Digital Services Act. The law requires large online platforms to tackle illegal content and address risks associated with their services.
In February, EU regulators also accused TikTok of using addictive design features, failing to protect children adequately and making it difficult for researchers to access public data. TikTok called those preliminary findings “categorically false” and said it would challenge them.
The Commission is separately investigating whether recommendation systems on Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram also create a similar “rabbit hole” effect. These investigations raise broader questions about the impact of social media algorithms on user behaviour and wellbeing.
