The European Union has raised concerns about TikTok’s adherence to the bloc’s digital regulations, saying the platform’s algorithm generates a continuous stream of personalised videos. Some of these videos are believed to harm users’ mental health and body image potentially.
The EU’s executive body has said TikTok must revise the design of its “For You” feed to give users more control over the content they want to avoid.
Regulators have noted that TikTok has not sufficiently assessed how its recommendation systems may lead users into “rabbit holes“ that risk their well-being. This occurs as users are directed towards similar video content based on their prior interactions, which may include triggering themes such as weight loss or mental health struggles.
In response, TikTok has said the European Commission’s findings are “fundamentally inaccurate“ and misrepresent the platform’s architecture and its commitment to user safety.
“We have a strong record of protecting our community while giving users direct and intuitive control over their content experience,“ the company said in a statement. The company will have the opportunity to respond before the European Commission issues its final decision, which may include a fine of up to 6% of TikTok’s total annual revenue.
“Every time a user scrolls or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more of the same, leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from,“ European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, said in a statement.
“Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors.”
TikTok has implemented several measures, including a “not interested“ button, to mitigate the “rabbit hole effect.“ However, the European Commission has said these measures are insufficient to reduce how often it recommends harmful content. European regulators are asking TikTok to make significant adjustments to its “For You“ feed. Specifically, they are advocating greater emphasis on users’ explicit preferences, ending reliance on viewing time as a metric for recommending content, and improving access to user controls.
This initiative is part of a broader series of enforcement actions taken by EU regulators against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework that requires compliance from technology companies and threatens substantial financial penalties for non-compliance.
The Commission began investigating TikTok’s potential DSA violations more than two years ago. This year alone, it has issued two additional sets of preliminary findings, alleging that the platform has breached regulations through “addictive design” features that contribute to compulsive usage among children and has also failed to safeguard children’s privacy rights adequately.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
