The EU is reacting, among other things, to the endless scrolling, the automatic playback of new video clips and the tempting push notifications that the app uses.
TikTok must now change its fundamental design, remove such features and introduce tools that lead to breaks for users - especially at night, a preliminary decision states.
"Social media addiction can have devastating effects on children and teenagers," says Henna Virkkunen, EU Commissioner for Digital, in a press release.
TikTok has a different opinion.
"The Commission's preliminary conclusions paint a categorically incorrect and completely unfounded picture of our platform, and we will take all necessary measures to contest these conclusions by all means at our disposal," a spokesperson for TikTok said in a comment to TT.
Autopilot and compulsion?
In March 2024, the European Commission began investigating TikTok for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA) regarding the protection of children and young people. It has now been determined that TikTok "failed to adequately" evaluate how its addictive tools can harm users physically and psychologically - including minors and vulnerable adults.
The European Commission particularly highlights TikTok's "rewarding" function - being constantly "fed" new content - which causes users to scroll and put their brains on "autopilot". This can lead to compulsive behavior and reduce users' self-control, according to the investigation. Lack of age verification, which can lead to minors being exposed to inappropriate material, is also highlighted as a problem.
TikTok has not taken sufficient reasonable measures to reduce the risks of the app, according to the European Commission. The tool that limits screen time and parental controls are not effective enough and can be dismissed too easily, it says.
Six percent fine?
TikTok will now have the opportunity to defend itself and review the material that formed the basis of the investigation. If TikTok is found guilty, the penalty could be a fine equivalent to six percent of annual turnover.
TikTok announced last fall that it has over 200 million users in Europe.
In Sweden, 97 percent of all children and young people aged 8–19 use social media and 86 percent do so every day. The five largest social media in this age group are YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and Roblox, according to the Internet Foundation's report Children and the Internet 2025.
Corrected: In an earlier version of the text, the Digital Services Act (DSA) was described incorrectly.
Tina Magnergård Bjers/TT
Sofie Fogde/TT
Facts: EU Digital Services Act (DSA)
TT
The Digital Services Act (DSA) is an EU regulation that entered into force on November 16, 2022 and began to apply in full on February 17, 2024.
Among other things, it states that digital platforms must take greater responsibility for what is on their platforms and that they must be transparent about their methods and decisions. The law includes stricter requirements for them to act against illegal content.
In simple terms, DSA can be likened to rules of the game for what happens on digital platforms, such as social media. The aim is to counteract illegal and harmful activities on the internet and limit the spread of disinformation.
Violations of the DSA can result in fines of up to six percent of the company's global annual turnover. Repeated serious violations can result in a service suspension.
Source: Swedish Media Authority and others
