The key facts

  • The European Commission found preliminary signs that TikTok violates the Digital Services Act due to the 'rabbit hole effect' in the For You feed
  • The Commission proposed to stop using watch time in recommendations and to strengthen the influence of user settings
  • TikTok rejected the findings, calling the Commission's statements inaccurate; the investigation has been ongoing for more than two years

European Commission's preliminary findings

On Friday, the European Commission warned TikTok that the platform must change the design of its personalized For You feed, or it faces substantial fines under the Digital Services Act (DSA). As Euronews reports, the Commission has found preliminary signs of a violation linked to the so-called 'rabbit hole effect': the more a user engages with a certain type of content, the more similar videos the algorithm offers. In the Commission's assessment, this can be harmful when endless repeated exposure involves, for example, material about sadness, loneliness, or body image — above all for children and vulnerable users.

What exactly Brussels is demanding

The Commission acknowledged that TikTok had taken steps to reduce the risks, but deemed them insufficiently effective. Among its recommendations: give greater weight to user preferences, since the 'not interested' button, in the regulator's view, may not be enough to change the feed; stop using watch time as the basis for recommendations; make user settings more accessible; and regularly test the algorithm. Notably, according to the investigation, the algorithm keeps recommending similar videos even when the user explicitly indicates that the content is not of interest to them.

TikTok's position and the context of the investigation

TikTok rejected the Commission's findings. 'The Commission has made a number of statements that are factually inaccurate and misrepresent both the architecture of our platform and our commitment to user safety,' — a company spokesperson told the outlet, adding that the platform has a 'strong track record' in protecting the community. The investigation into TikTok under the DSA began more than two years ago; earlier this year, the Commission already issued two other sets of preliminary findings — concerning 'sticking design' elements that push children toward compulsive use of the service, and insufficient protection of children's privacy. In July, similar demands to change 'sticking design' were made to Meta regarding Facebook and Instagram. The current findings are preliminary: the final decision and possible fines are still ahead.