EU finds TikTok's addictive design violates digital services law
The European Commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok violates the Digital Services Act by using addictive design features—including infinite scroll, autoplay, and personalized recommendations—without adequately assessing harm to minors and vulnerable users. The Commission found existing safeguards ineffective and recommended fundamental changes to the platform's design or face potential penalties of up to 6 percent of annual global revenue.
What happened
The European Commission concluded in preliminary findings that TikTok's design features violate the Digital Services Act. The Commission identified infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the highly personalized recommendation system as functions that the platform failed to adequately assess for potential harm to physical and mental well-being of users, including minors and vulnerable adults.
Reported impact
Scientific research cited by the Commission demonstrates that TikTok's features can lead to compulsive behavior and reduced user self-control. The Commission noted that minors spend excessive time on the platform, with studies cited showing that 8 percent of children aged 12 to 15 use such platforms for more than five hours daily, and some children as young as eight use TikTok for 130 minutes daily.
Index analysis
The Commission found that TikTok's screen time management tools are ineffective, as they are easy to ignore and generate little friction. Parental controls were assessed as potentially ineffective because they require additional time and skills for parents to implement.
Governance controls
The Commission recommended that TikTok disable addictive features such as infinite scroll by implementing screen breaks, including overnight. The regulator concluded that the platform must modify the basic design of its service to protect minors and their well-being.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.