EU Orders TikTok to Overhaul "Addictive" Design or Face Major Fines
The European Union has issued a warning to TikTok, demanding that the platform overhaul its "addictive design" or risk facing hefty fines. This follows an investigation by the European Commission into the app, which found it may be violating the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to protect users from the potentially harmful effects of its addictive features.
What did the investigation find?
TikTok, known for its endless scrolling and autoplay videos, was found to have not properly assessed how these features could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of its users, including children. The EU pointed to TikTok's “infinite scroll” function, which encourages compulsive use, and the app's recommendation system, which feeds personalized content to users, as key contributors to the problem.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU's tech chief, explained that these features can cause users to develop an addiction to social media, which is particularly dangerous for the developing minds of children and teenagers.
The EU’s investigation into TikTok started in February 2024 and is just the latest in a series of investigations into the platform’s compliance with online safety laws. Earlier this year, TikTok was warned for not providing enough transparency to independent researchers, and it has also faced criticism over its handling of age verification and harmful content.
What does TikTok need to do?
The European Commission has outlined specific actions that TikTok must take to avoid being fined. These include disabling the infinite scroll feature, implementing “screen time breaks” (including at night), and modifying its content recommendation algorithms. If TikTok fails to comply, it could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue, which is estimated to be in the billions.
This is the first time the EU has set a legal standard on the addictive design of social media platforms, and it could have wide-reaching implications for other companies like Meta (Facebook and Instagram), which are also under scrutiny for similar issues.
While TikTok has made some efforts to limit its addictive features such as introducing parental controls and time management tools, the EU argues that these measures are insufficient.
What did TikTok say about the findings?
TikTok has strongly rejected the findings, calling them a "categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform." The company is expected to challenge the preliminary findings and has been invited to respond to the EU’s concerns. TikTok's spokesperson, Paolo Ganino, has promised that the company would “take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available.”
