EU Rules TikTok's Design Addictive

The European Commission has indicated that TikTok may have violated the bloc's digital safety rules, citing concerns over the app's "addictive design." A preliminary ruling suggests that the popular platform, with over 1 billion users globally, failed to adequately assess the risks its design poses to the physical and mental well-being of users, especially children and vulnerable adults.

The commission detailed that by continuously rewarding users with new content, TikTok encourages constant scrolling, potentially leading users into an "autopilot mode" that fosters compulsive behavior and diminishes self-control. The platform is also accused of overlooking signs of compulsive use, such as excessive nighttime screen time for minors.

Consequently, the EU is contemplating mandatory changes to TikTok's service. These could include disabling addictive features like 'infinite scroll,' introducing effective screen time breaks, and adjusting its content recommendation system. Current safety measures, including screentime management and parental controls, are deemed insufficient by the commission, with features being too easy to dismiss or too time-consuming to set up.

These preliminary findings do not represent a final judgment, and TikTok will have the opportunity to contest the commission's conclusions. Breaches of the Digital Services Act can lead to substantial fines, potentially up to 6% of a company's annual turnover, and could also result in mandated app redesigns. This action follows a previous €120 million fine imposed on X (formerly Twitter) for its own DSA violations.