The European Union is escalating its campaign against TikTok over features that promote digital addiction.

 

TikTok 

The European Union is escalating its campaign against TikTok over features that promote digital addiction.

The European Union has stepped up its regulatory pressure on TikTok, after a lengthy investigation by the European Commission concluded that the platform's design relies on features that encourage excessive use, especially among children and teenagers.

The Commission explained that the investigation, which lasted nearly two years, revealed that some of the application's mechanisms, such as infinite scrolling, autoplay of clips, and the interest-based recommendation system, contribute to keeping users connected for long periods without time awareness, which is contrary to the obligations of the European Digital Services Act.

European authorities have asked the app's owner to make radical changes to the design of several of these features, in order to limit compulsive use patterns and enhance the protection of young age groups from negative psychological and behavioral effects.

This move comes as part of the implementation of the Digital Services Act, which requires major platforms to assess the risks associated with their services and take effective preventive measures to protect users, while promoting transparency and accountability within the European digital space.

Worrying features

According to the Commission's findings, TikTok's reliance on constantly refreshing content, coupled with frequent notifications, is a powerful draw that encourages users to spend more time on the app. Furthermore, its personalized recommendation systems are designed to keep users engaged in a continuous viewing experience, increasing the likelihood of digital addiction.

The European Union called for some of these features to be disabled or redesigned, with mandatory downtime periods imposed, especially during nighttime hours, and for recommendation mechanisms to be restructured to reduce reliance on highly stimulating content.

Inadequate protection and predictable responses

The commission criticized the tools currently available within the application, such as screen time limits and parental controls, deeming them insufficient, either because they are easily bypassed or because they are too complex to set up, thus reducing their effectiveness in curbing compulsive behavior.

In response, TikTok rejected the findings of the investigation, asserting that the Commission’s assessment does not reflect the reality of the safety procedures adopted by the platform, and announcing its intention to legally challenge these findings.
However, if the violations are definitively proven, the app could face fines of up to 6% of its annual global revenue, posing a significant financial threat to ByteDance.