European Union regulators on Friday charged TikTok with breaching the bloc’s online content rules over what they described as addictive design features, ordering the video-sharing platform to change its app or face fines of up to 6% of its parent company ByteDance’s global turnover.
The charges, issued by the European Commission after a year-long investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA), focus on features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and TikTok’s highly personalised recommendation system, which regulators say encourage compulsive use.
The Commission said TikTok failed to adequately assess the risks posed by these design elements to users’ physical and mental well-being, particularly children and vulnerable adults. Regulators cited indicators such as excessive nighttime use by minors and the frequency with which users open the app as warning signs of compulsive behaviour.
According to the Commission, TikTok also appeared to fall short in implementing effective safeguards, including screen-time management tools and parental controls, to mitigate these risks.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said TikTok would be required to make structural changes to its service in Europe, including potentially disabling infinite scroll over time, introducing stronger screen-time breaks, and adjusting its recommendation algorithms.
“So now we are expecting TikTok to take action and change the design of their service in Europe to protect our minors,” Virkkunen told reporters.
TikTok criticised the Commission’s findings, saying it would contest the charges.
“The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform,” a TikTok spokesperson said, adding that the company would take steps to challenge the decision.
The case underscores the EU’s intensifying crackdown on large technology platforms, a campaign that has drawn criticism from the United States and raised concerns over potential trade retaliation.
Other platforms including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram were charged last year over so-called dark patterns, while regulators have also sought information from Snapchat, YouTube, Apple, and Google regarding age verification and protections for minors.
The move comes amid growing global scrutiny of social media’s impact on young users. Australia last year became the first country to block children under 16 from major platforms, while countries such as France, Spain, and India are considering similar restrictions.
TikTok can review the Commission’s evidence and submit a written response before a final decision is issued.
