European Commission finds TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act over addictive design

• The Commission warned that TikTok’s content rewards may push users into an “autopilot mode” that weakens self-control.
• Investigators flagged concerns over minors’ nighttime usage and how frequently users reopen the app.
• TikTok has the right to respond to the findings before a final decision is reached. The case could lead to fines of up to 6% of the company's global annual turnover.

The European Commission has preliminarily found TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act over the platform’s "addictive" design.

In its findings released today, the Commission said features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and TikTok’s highly personalised recommender system may pose risks to users’ physical and mental wellbeing, including minors and vulnerable adults.

The Commission’s investigation indicates that TikTok did not adequately assess how these design choices could encourage compulsive behaviour. 

By continuously rewarding users with new content, the platform may push users into what regulators described as an “autopilot mode”, reducing self-control and increasing the urge to keep scrolling. 

The Commission also claimed that TikTok failed to properly account for indicators of problematic use, including how long minors spend on the app at night and how frequently users open it.

Core design overhaul 

Regulators further said TikTok appears not to have implemented effective risk mitigation measures. Existing screen time and parental control tools were found to offer limited friction and could be easily dismissed.

The EU also found that parental controls may require too much effort and technical knowledge from caregivers to be effective.

At this stage, the Commission believes TikTok may need to change core elements of its service, including disabling certain addictive features over time, introducing meaningful screen time breaks and adjusting its recommender system.

TikTok now has the right to respond to the findings. If the conclusions are confirmed, the Commission could issue a non-compliance decision carrying fines of up to 6% of TikTok’s global annual turnover.