EU orders TikTok to alter For You feed, threatens fines

The European Union told TikTok on Friday that it must change the algorithm that powers its For You feed, warning that regulators could levy fines of up to 6 percent of the platform’s turnover if the changes are not made. The directive was issued under the bloc’s Digital Services Act, which the commission says the current system creates harmful “rabbit‑hole” effects for users.

European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, said “Every time a user scrolls or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more of the same, leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from,” in a statement. She added that “Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well‑being, including those of minors.” The EU added that the feed leads to endless exposure to content about sadness, isolation or body image, and that earlier adjustments made by the company were not sufficient.

TikTok rejected the EU’s assessment, calling the findings “fundamentally inaccurate and distort our platform’s architecture and our commitment to user safety”, while a spokesperson said the service has “a strong record of protecting our community while giving users direct and intuitive control over their content experience”. Regulators warned that fines could rise by as much as 6 percent unless the platform complies, and TikTok will be given a chance to respond before a final decision is taken. A senior EU official told AFP that the order follows February’s criticism of TikTok’s notifications and other addictive features, and July accusations that the service exposed children to cyberbullying and predatory behaviour.

In the same month, Brussels also ordered Meta to modify the feeds of Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act.