The European Union has warned TikTok to change what it described as the platform’s “addictive design” or risk facing heavy financial penalties, after regulators found the Chinese-owned social media company in breach of the bloc’s digital content rules.
In preliminary findings released on Friday, the European Commission said TikTok failed to take effective steps to mitigate the negative effects of several core features, particularly on young people and children. The probe, launched in February 2024, is the first investigation opened against TikTok under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
Tiktok Digital Services Act violation
According to the commission, TikTok is believed to violate the DSA due to design elements that encourage excessive use, including infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and a highly personalised recommendation system.
The commission said its investigation showed that TikTok did not sufficiently assess how these features could harm users’ physical and mental wellbeing, especially minors and other vulnerable groups.
“To address the concerns — and avoid the risk of hefty fines — TikTok has to take actions,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told reporters. “They have to change the design of their service in Europe to protect our minors and their wellbeing.”
EU regulators outlined several measures the platform could adopt, including limiting infinite scroll, introducing effective screen-time breaks—particularly at night—and adjusting its recommender algorithms to reduce compulsive content consumption.
The commission said TikTok’s design features were found to “fuel the urge to keep scrolling,” accusing the platform of ignoring key indicators of compulsive use, such as the amount of time children spend on the app late at night.
Regulators also criticised TikTok’s screen-time management and parental control tools, describing them as ineffective. According to the findings, time management features were “easy to dismiss,” even for young users, while parental controls required “additional time and skills” from parents to activate and manage.
Debate on Underage Social Media Access
The case comes as several European countries consider stricter limits on children’s access to social media, with growing debate over whether similar restrictions should be applied at the EU level.
Virkkunen said her priority was to ensure platforms are safe by design rather than relying on strict age bans. “Social media should be so safe by design that we shouldn’t have that kind of very high age restriction,” she said.
TikTok will now be allowed to access the EU’s investigation files and respond to the allegations. If the commission’s preliminary conclusions are confirmed, the company could be fined up to 6% of its total global annual turnover.
The investigation is part of the EU’s broader push to rein in major technology companies through tougher regulation. The DSA, which strengthens content moderation and platform accountability, has drawn criticism from allies of U.S. President Donald Trump, who have accused the bloc of censorship.
Separately, the EU opened another probe into TikTok in December 2024 over alleged foreign interference in Romania’s presidential election. EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier said TikTok had been “extremely cooperative” in that investigation and had taken steps to address regulators’ concerns, adding that authorities would continue monitoring the platform’s conduct during future elections.