EU tells TikTok to change For You feed to meet safety rules

The European Commission has accused TikTok of breaching online platform rules, alleging that its recommendation algorithm encourages a "rabbit hole effect" for users. In a statement released on Friday, regulators claimed that the platform’s system risks harming individuals through "endless and repeated exposure" to content involving isolation, sadness, or body image concerns.

These conclusions follow a previous declaration by the EU Commission that the design of the application is excessively "addictive." Although TikTok has introduced measures to address the "rabbit hole effect," the Commission stated that preliminary findings suggest these controls are insufficient. The social media company must now modify its For You feed design or risk financial penalties amounting to 6 percent of its global annual turnover.

The platform is also experiencing significant scrutiny in the US, where lawmakers and various lawsuits have highlighted fears regarding child safety. Since the introduction of the Digital Services Act in 2023, the EU Commission has investigated several firms for suspected regulatory violations, including X, Meta, Temu, and AliExpress. According to reports, this marks the first instance where the Commission has identified a recommendation algorithm as the primary cause for a legal breach.

Explaining the decision, Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission’s executive vice president of tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, noted in a press release: "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." She added: "Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors."