The European Commission has reportedly asked TikTok to redesign key features, including endless scrolling, in a bid to combat addictive social media behaviour. The platform may also be required to enforce screen time breaks and adjust its recommendation algorithms.
This is the first time the EU has sought to regulate platform design under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Meta’s Facebook and Instagram are also under scrutiny for similar practices. TikTok could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue if it fails to comply.
Katarzyna Szymielewicz, president of the Panoptykon Foundation, a Polish civil society organisation, described the move as “groundbreaking for the business model fueled by surveillance and advertising.”
The DSA requires social media platforms to assess potential risks to users, but the scope and enforcement remain complex, meaning changes in Europe could have global implications.
