EU Charges TikTok Over Addictive App Design, Demands Major Changes to Protect Users
The European Union has formally charged TikTok with breaching its online content rules, accusing the video sharing app of using addictive design features that may harm users, particularly children and teenagers. Regulators have warned that TikTok must change the way its app works in Europe or face potential fines of up to six percent of its parent company’s global turnover.
The charges follow a year long investigation by the European Commission under the Digital Services Act, a landmark law aimed at making large online platforms more accountable for the societal impact of their products. EU officials say their concerns centre on TikTok’s core design features, including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications and a highly personalised recommendation algorithm that keeps users engaged for long periods.
According to the Commission, these features are engineered to constantly reward users with new content, encouraging them to remain on the app in what regulators described as an almost automatic scrolling mode. The watchdog said TikTok failed to properly assess how this design could affect users’ mental and physical wellbeing, especially minors and other vulnerable groups.
EU regulators also accused the company of overlooking key warning signs of compulsive behaviour. These include how frequently users open the app, how long minors spend on the platform late at night and the lack of effective safeguards to reduce excessive use. The Commission said TikTok appeared not to have implemented reasonable and proportionate measures such as robust screen time limits or effective parental control tools.
European Commission officials said the company is now expected to redesign parts of its service for European users. Suggested measures include limiting or disabling infinite scrolling over time, introducing enforced screen breaks, particularly at night, and adjusting the recommender system to reduce compulsive consumption.
TikTok strongly rejected the accusations. A company spokesperson said the Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and meritless picture of the platform and confirmed that TikTok would challenge the charges. The company has consistently argued that its recommendation system helps users discover relevant content and that it has already introduced safety tools aimed at younger audiences.
The case highlights the European Union’s broader crackdown on major technology companies, a campaign that has drawn criticism from the United States and raised tensions with global tech firms. The Digital Services Act places stricter obligations on large platforms to address harmful content and systemic risks, with penalties designed to be large enough to force compliance.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said the focus of the action against TikTok was the protection of minors. She added that investigations into other online platforms were progressing and that further decisions could follow in the coming months.
Other companies have already faced similar scrutiny. Meta’s Facebook and Instagram were charged last year over deceptive interface designs, while regulators have requested information from platforms such as Snapchat, YouTube, Apple and Google about how they verify users’ ages and prevent children from accessing harmful material.
Across Europe and beyond, governments are taking a tougher stance on social media. Countries including France, Spain and India are debating restrictions for teenagers, while Australia has already banned children under sixteen from major platforms. The EU says age limits remain a national decision, but acknowledges that a more coordinated approach may eventually be needed.
TikTok will now have the opportunity to review the Commission’s evidence and submit a formal response before a final decision is reached.
