The EU has blamed TikTok for implementing an “addictive design” that could breach Europe’s new content rules.
In preliminary findings, the European Commission (EC) said that features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and a highly personalised recommender system are designed to keep users on the platform for as long as possible in a way that could cause both physical and mental harm.
The EU’s Digital Services Act, which was introduced in 2022, does not directly ban social media companies from making their platforms addictive, but it does compel them to avoid “systemic risks”, including harm to minors, mental health impacts and disrupted sleep.
But the EC’s investigation has found that TikTok did not adequately assess how its features could harm the wellbeing of its users.
“By constantly ‘rewarding’ users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into autopilot mode,” it said. “Scientific research shows...