The Commission of the European Union (EU) has made a preliminary determination that TikTok’s “addictive design” is in violation of the EU’s Digital Services Act.
According to a press release issued by the Commission in early February, TikTok features such as autoplay, push notification, and its personalized recommender system are addictive and “could harm the physical and mental well-being of its users, including minors and vulnerable adults.”
Further, the Commission faults the social media platform for its failure to “implement reasonable, proportionate and effective measures to mitigate risks stemming from its addictive design.”
While a formal determination of the Commission’s investigation into TikTok is still pending, a confirmation of its preliminary findings could result in a “fine proportionate to the nature, gravity, recurrence and determination of the infringement.”
The Commission’s press release about TikTok is available at https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_312.