The Commission said TikTok had failed to introduce reasonable and effective measures to reduce these risks.
TikTok had rejected those findings as “categorically false” and said it would challenge them. In February, EU regulators had also issued preliminary findings against TikTok over its allegedly addictive design, inadequate safeguards for children and restrictions that made it difficult for researchers to access public data. The European Commission is also examining similar concerns involving Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, focusing on whether their recommendation systems create comparable rabbit hole effects. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
TikTok could face a fine of up to 6 per cent of its global annual turnover after European Union regulators accused the platform of failing to address the harmful effects of its recommendation algorithm, which can trap users in a continuous stream of similar videos. TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could face a penalty of up to 6% of its global annual turnover if the company fails to address the concerns raised by the Commission.
The action concerns the platform’s so-called “rabbit hole” effect, in which its algorithm repeatedly recommends similar content based on what users watch, like or engage with, making it difficult for them to move away from a particular type of content. The Commission said TikTok had failed to introduce reasonable and effective measures to reduce these risks. “Every time a user scrolls or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more of the same leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. “Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors,” she said.
It warned that repeated exposure to videos dealing with sadness, isolation and body image could negatively affect users’ mental health. The Commission has called on TikTok to change the way its ‘For You’ feed recommends videos. It has suggested giving greater importance to users’ explicit preferences, making controls over recommendations easier to find and use, and regularly assessing the impact of its algorithm. The charges come amid growing international concern about the effects of social media on children’s mental health. Governments across the world are considering or introducing restrictions on underage users as pressure mounts on technology companies to make their platforms safer. The preliminary findings are not a final decision, and TikTok will have an opportunity to respond. The action is part of a wider EU investigation into TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act, which requires large online platforms to take stronger measures against illegal and harmful content.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and digital regulator, issued preliminary findings against TikTok on Friday under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA).