EU accuses TikTok of 'addictive design' and seeks changes to protect users

The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc's digital rules with "addictive design” features including autoplay and infinite scroll, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app's operating model.

EU regulators said their investigation found that TikTok hasn't done enough to assess how its features could harm the physical and mental health of users, including children and "vulnerable adults.”

The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the "basic design” of its service. The commission is the EU’s executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc's Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines.

TikTok denied the accusations.

"The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us,” the company said in a statement.

A protester holds a placard in front of a police cordon during a protest against the closure of TikTok in front of the Prime Minister's office in Tirana, Albania. File / AFP

TikTok now has a chance to reply to the commission's findings, which could lead to a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company's total annual revenue.

"Social media addiction can have detrimental effects on the developing minds of children and teens," Henna Virkkunen, the commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a press statement. "The Digital Services Act makes platforms responsible for the effects they can have on their users. In Europe, we enforce our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online.”

The preliminary findings from Brussels are the latest example of pressure that TikTok and other social media platforms are facing over youth addiction.

Australia has banned social media for under-16s while governments in Spain, France, and Denmark want to introduce similar measures.

In the US, TikTok last month settled a landmark social media addiction lawsuit while two other companies named in the suit - Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube - still face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children.

The commission said that TikTok fuels the urge to keep scrolling because it constantly rewards users with new content, leading to reduced self control.

It said TikTok ignores signs that someone is compulsively using the app, such as the amount of time that minors spend on it at night, and how often the app is opened.

The company has failed to put in place "reasonable, proportionate and effective” measures to offset the risks, it said.

The commission said TikTok's existing time management controls are easy to dismiss and "introduce limited friction," while parental tools need "additional time and skills" from parents.

Changes that the commission wants TikTok to make include disabling features like infinite scroll; putting in more effective breaks for screen time, including at night; and changing its "highly personalized” recommender system, which feeds users an endless stream of video shorts based on their preferences.

TikTok says it has numerous tools, such as custom screen time limits and sleep reminders, that let users make "intentional decisions” about how they spend their time on the app.

Associated Press