EU says TikTok needs to drop “addictive design”

Brussels has issued a critical warning to TikTok, highlighting concerns that its never-ending scrolling feeds may violate Europe's new content regulations. This comes as regulators intensify efforts to mitigate the social impact of major online platforms. In preliminary assessments released on Friday, the European Commission indicated that TikTok might not have sufficiently evaluated or addressed the risks associated with its addictive design elements. These features could pose threats to the physical and mental health of users, particularly among children and other vulnerable demographics. This warning represents a significant challenge under the EU's Digital Services Act, which mandates that large online platforms identify and mitigate systemic risks related to their services. The Commission noted that TikTok’s design, which continuously “rewards” users with new content, encourages incessant scrolling and can lead to a state of mental disengagement. Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s technology chief, expressed concern about the potential impacts of social media addiction on young minds. "In Europe, we enforce our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online," she stated. Should the preliminary findings be validated, TikTok could face penalties of up to 6 percent of its global revenue, underscoring the EU's commitment to upholding digital safety standards.