The findings, announced on Friday, November 6, target the so-called rabbit hole effect of TikTok’s For You feed, which recommends increasingly similar videos as users watch, like or otherwise engage with content. Regulators identified particular concerns involving sadness, isolation, weight loss and body image, especially for children and vulnerable adults.
Brussels said TikTok had neither adequately assessed the risks arising from its recommendation system nor introduced sufficiently effective safeguards. It considers changes to the underlying ranking mechanism necessary, rather than relying solely on controls that users must activate themselves.
The Commission suggested disabling viewing time as a signal for recommending videos, giving greater weight to users’ explicit preferences, making feed controls easier to access and regularly testing whether changes reduce harmful exposure. These proposals form part of its preliminary assessment, not a final binding order.
TikTok rejected the allegations, describing the Commission’s findings as fundamentally inaccurate. The company maintains that it provides tools allowing people to influence their recommendations and has measures intended to limit exposure to harmful material. It will have an opportunity to inspect the evidence and submit a response before regulators decide whether to confirm a breach.
A final non-compliance decision could expose TikTok to a fine of up to 6 per cent of its total worldwide annual turnover. The Commission could also require corrective measures. No penalty has been imposed under the November findings, and the company retains its rights of defence.
The investigation focuses on how apparently ordinary viewing behaviour can reinforce particular themes. Watching several videos about dieting, for example, may prompt the system to deliver additional videos on similar subjects, even when repeated exposure could undermine a user’s wellbeing. The Commission argues that engagement signals cannot by themselves establish whether somebody wants sustained exposure to sensitive material.
Officials also questioned the effectiveness of TikTok’s existing protections. These include the option to mark videos as not interesting, mechanisms intended to diversify recommendations and features that allow users to refresh their feeds. The Commission’s provisional assessment is that these measures have not adequately prevented repetitive recommendations in sensitive categories.
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice-president responsible for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said the algorithm can lead users into content loops that are difficult to escape. She stressed the need to protect children and people susceptible to harm from repeated exposure.
The case marks a significant test of the Digital Services Act’s requirements for major platforms to identify and mitigate systemic risks associated with their services. It addresses not simply whether individual videos are unlawful, but whether the process selecting and repeatedly displaying lawful material can itself create risks requiring intervention.
The Commission’s concerns arise from an investigation opened in February 2024 into several aspects of TikTok’s compliance with the legislation. Its latest findings are the third set issued against the platform this year, following separate provisional assessments concerning addictive design in February and the default account settings and visibility of minors’ content in July.
The February assessment questioned features including infinite scrolling, autoplay and notifications, alongside the broader effect of personalised recommendations on compulsive use. July’s findings addressed whether accounts belonging to minors were sufficiently protected from exposure to audiences beyond their intended contacts. Neither earlier assessment should be confused with a final infringement decision.
The latest proceedings also distinguish harmful repetition from traditional content moderation. Regulators have indicated that videos about mental health or body image do not necessarily need removal simply because they discuss sensitive issues. Their concern is the cumulative effect of repeatedly presenting similar material to individuals whose behaviour may not reflect a deliberate choice to consume it.
The Commission has emphasised that the investigation concerns the platform’s responsibilities under EU law, rather than an automatic prohibition on discussing difficult subjects. Its assessment centres on recommendation patterns, user vulnerability and the adequacy of preventive measures.
The European Board for Digital Services will be consulted as the Commission advances the case. TikTok may challenge the factual and legal conclusions, propose adjustments to its service and present evidence about how its safeguards operate. The eventual decision will depend on that process and the Commission’s assessment of the company’s response.
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