TikTok moved one step closer to a new European Union fine after regulators found its video-recommendation algorithm pushes users down “rabbit holes” of potentially harmful content, escalating an almost three-year probe into the video-sharing app.
TikTok users are repeatedly targeted with videos about topics they have previously engaged with, including on sensitive subjects like mental health struggles and body image, the European Commission said in preliminary findings on Friday. That can have a “detrimental impact” on users' mental health, according to the statement from the EU's executive branch.
-
Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon -
NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term -
Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani -
'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps -
India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers -
'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax -
Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite -
Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness -
CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE -
Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI
ALSO READ: Amazon Copied TikTok. Now TikTok Is Copying Amazon With A Brand-New Shopping App
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
The commission recommended ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok alter the design of its central “For You” personalized feed. That includes taking users' explicit preferences into account and potentially stopping using viewing time as a signal for recommending videos.
“Repeated exposure to such content may have serious negative effects on users' well-being, including increased feelings of sadness or anxiety, body dissatisfaction, lower self-esteem, or worsening of existing eating disorders and mental conditions,” the commission said.
The case is part of a broader push by Brussels to curb features regulators say can make large-scale social media services addictive or expose children and vulnerable users to harmful material. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has separately unveiled plans to outlaw social media use for young teens.
“The Commission has made a series of statements that are fundamentally inaccurate and distort our platform's architecture and our commitment to user safety,” TikTok said in a statement. “We have a strong record of protecting our community while giving users direct and intuitive control over their content experience.”
The findings escalate a wide-ranging investigation that began in February 2024 under the EU's Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook requiring social networks and search engines to weed out illegal or harmful content.
The probe has increasingly zeroed in on the mechanics that has made the app so popular, with regulators focusing on TikTok's infinite scroll, autoplay and the central “For You” personalized stream of videos.
Earlier this year, the commission concluded that TikTok's design breached the DSA. These latest findings focus not on how TikTok keeps users scrolling, but what the algorithm shows them once it's learned their interests.
TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance Ltd., failed to assess or mitigate the risks stemming from its recommendation system, according to the commission. The probe also scrutinizes the platform's handling of privacy and minor protections.
ALSO READ: Meta Seeks Up To $95 Billion In Equity To Fund AI Spending
The preliminary findings mean that TikTok can respond to the commission and propose changes before regulators reach a final decision. If the commission concludes the platform broke the law, it can impose fines of as much as 6% of a company's annual global sales.
The EU fined ByteDance €530 million ($592 million) in 2025 for illegally sending user data to China and €345 million in 2023 for lapses in the way it cares for children's personal data.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
