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Anyone who has used TikTok for any length of time can attest to the app’s engaging features. The algorithm that determines which short video content is shown on your profile is “for you” is notorious for driving people into endless scrolling cycles that are difficult to get out of.
It’s that way by design. But here’s the problem: the European Commission has published preliminary results announcing this TikTok’s strategy is “addictive by design.”which has been investigated since 2024, is being violated Digital Services Law. Which Historical European Union organization From 2022 it seeks to impose accountability on large online platforms, including their content moderation practices
The commission said TikTok would need to make significant changes to how its algorithm works or face fines of up to 6% of its annual global sales. She highlighted specific features she found to be problematic, including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and TikTok’s highly personalized recommendation system.
The Commission particularly highlights how the app’s addictive features can harm the physical and mental health of users, including minors and vulnerable adults. Its decision comes in the same month that Spain announced it would implement a social media ban for minors under the age of 16, similar to the ban already in place in Australia. It is possible that other European countries, including France and the United Kingdom, will move toward similar rules.
“The Digital Services Act makes platforms responsible for the impacts they can have on their users,” Heina Virkkonen, the Commission’s Executive Vice President for Technology Sovereignty, said in a statement. “In Europe, we are implementing our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online.”
It’s already been a tough year for TikTok, as… The American version of the application It is separated from the global business to meet US law requirements starting in 2024. There are more algorithm changes to come, with TikTok fans have already noticed major transformations On the platform in the United States, which caused immediate excitement Exit the application.
As for Europe, TikTok does not seem to be responding to the Commission’s accusations and demands.
“The committee’s preliminary findings present a completely false and unworthy portrayal of our platform, and we will take all necessary steps to challenge these findings through every means available to us,” a company spokesperson said via email.
TikTok will be able to examine documents in the committee’s investigative files and provide a response.
An end to Dark Design?
A combination of internal data collected from TikTok and the most important scientific research on the harmful effects of social media led the committee to conclude that the company is not acting in people’s interests by allowing them to slide into compulsive behaviors.
TikTok isn’t the only platform that relies on algorithms designed to keep people hooked to the app without interruption. The reason it’s mentioned here is “because it’s the algorithm and design blueprint for these types of social apps that everyone copied,” said Matt Navarra, a social media expert. In addition, it also has the greatest cultural influence and is doing extremely well, he added.
“You open the app, you’re in the loop, and then within half a second, there are no decisions, no dead ends, just pure dopamine, and that’s the real reason TikTok is in the line of fire,” Navarra said.
The European Commission’s message here is that this type of design is not “smart”, but is in fact “illegal”. It frames this fight with TikTok as a public health issue, using the Digital Services Act as a legal framework to hold the company accountable for the consequences of its decisions.
Does Navarra think TikTok’s closest competitors — Instagram, YouTube and Snap — should be worried they could be next? He said yes.
“The bottom line is that this is probably the beginning of a global reckoning on dark design choices for social media apps, and TikTok is just becoming a test case.”