European CommissionRelease of preliminary investigation resultsThe EU has determined that TikTok's design violates the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The EU stated that TikTok's "addictive design" fails to effectively prevent potential harm to the mental and physical health of users, especially minors, and may require the company to modify its algorithms and interface design.
Design to put users into "auto navigation mode"
In its press release, the European Commission highlighted several core features of TikTok: Infinite Scroll, Autoplay, push notifications, and a highly personalized recommendation system.
Regulators believe that TikTok's practice of constantly "rewarding" users with new content fuels the urge to keep swiping, causing users' brains to enter a state of unconsciousness similar to "Autopilot Mode." Scientific research shows that this mechanism may lead to compulsive behavior and reduce users' self-control.
In addition, the EU also believes that the parental controls and screen time limits currently offered by TikTok are "insufficient" and cannot effectively mitigate the aforementioned risks.
TikTok strongly refutes allegations: They are baseless
In response to the EU's accusations, a TikTok spokesperson told The New York Times that the European Commission's preliminary findings were a "misrepresentation" of its platform, emphasizing that the accusations were entirely meritless and stating that TikTok would take all necessary measures to challenge the findings.
The EU began imposing sanctions on TikTok in February 2024.Conduct extensive investigationIf ultimately found to have violated the Digital Services Act, TikTok could face a hefty fine equivalent to 6% of its annual global revenue and be forced to change its operating model.
