The European Commission has formally warned TikTok that its personalised For You feed may breach the bloc's digital rulebook, demanding changes to the algorithm that it says can push users into harmful content loops. The preliminary findings, announced on Friday, could lead to hefty fines if the platform fails to address the concerns.
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Commission accuses TikTok of designing its recommendation system in a way that creates a “rabbit hole effect”. The more a user engages with a particular type of video, the more the algorithm serves similar material. For young people or those in vulnerable states, this can mean endless exposure to content about sadness, isolation, or body image, which Brussels argues is harmful.
“The more a user interacts with a certain type of content, the more TikTok's 'For You' feed algorithm recommends similar content,” the Commission said in a statement. “This design can be harmful when such endless and repeated exposure involves, for example, content about sadness, isolation or body image.”
TikTok has pushed back, calling the Commission's assessment “fundamentally inaccurate”. A spokesperson for the platform told Euronews that the company has a strong record of protecting its community and that users already have direct control over their content experience. “We have a strong record of protecting our community while giving users direct and intuitive control over their content experience,” the spokesperson said.
Despite TikTok's defence, the Commission says the platform's own measures have not been sufficient. Even when users tap “not interested” on a video, the algorithm can continue to recommend similar content, the regulator noted. Brussels is now urging TikTok to give more weight to explicit user preferences and to consider dropping viewing time as a key signal for recommendations.
What Brussels wants from TikTok
The Commission has laid out a series of concrete recommendations. These include making user controls easier to find and use, regularly testing the algorithm for potential harms, and rethinking how the platform uses engagement metrics. The message is clear: the current design is not acceptable under EU law.
This is not the first time TikTok has come under scrutiny from Brussels. The Commission opened its investigation into the platform more than two years ago, and earlier this year issued preliminary findings that TikTok used “addictive design” features to encourage compulsive use among children, and that it failed to adequately protect minors' privacy online.
The DSA, which applies across all 27 member states, gives the Commission broad powers to police the largest online platforms. Companies found in breach can face fines of up to 6% of global turnover, and in extreme cases, be barred from operating in the EU.
The latest move is part of a wider push by Brussels to enforce the DSA, which also covers other major platforms. The Commission has been particularly focused on protecting minors, and this case is likely to set a precedent for how recommendation algorithms are regulated across the continent.
TikTok now has a chance to respond to the preliminary findings before the Commission makes a final decision. The company could offer binding commitments to change its practices, or it could fight the case. Either way, the outcome will be watched closely by other social media companies operating in Europe.
For now, the ball is in TikTok's court. The Commission has made clear that it expects meaningful changes, not just tweaks. As the EU steps up its enforcement of the DSA, platforms will need to show that they can protect users, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, from the unintended consequences of algorithmic design.
