EU says TikTok in breach of law due to ‘addictive’ features, infinite scroll

MANILA, Philippines – The EU’s European Commission has announced that it found TikTok to be “in breach of the Digital Services Act for its addictive design.” 

These features include the infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the “highly personalised recommender system” powered by the app’s algorithm.

The EU’s findings released on February 6 coincide with the landmark US trial that alleges that social media apps specifically Facebook, Instagram, Snap, YouTube, and TikTok caused harm to young people due to similarly described “addictive” design features. 

The EU said that TikTok “did not adequately assess” how the features could harm well-being not just for minors but also “vulnerable adults.” 

The EU finding differentiates itself from the US trial as the latter focuses on minors while the former also includes potential harm for certain adult populations. 

“For example, by constantly ‘rewarding’ users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into ‘autopilot mode.’ Scientific research shows that this may lead to compulsive behaviour and reduce users’ self-control,” the Commission said. 

The platform is also said to have disregarded metrics that could have indicated harmful compulsive behavior such as time spent by minors at night, and the frequency at which a user opens the app, potentially leading to an inability of the user to control oneself. 

Mitigation measures promoted by the app were also deemed ineffective.

“For example, the current measures on TikTok, particularly the screentime management tools and parental control tools, do not seem to effectively reduce the risks stemming from TikTok’s addictive design. 

The time management tools do not seem to be effective in enabling users to reduce and control their use of TikTok because they are easy to dismiss and introduce limited friction. Similarly, parental controls may not be effective because they require additional time and skills from parents to introduce the controls.” 

The findings are part of an in-depth investigation into TikTok’s compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act. The probe began in February 2024.

The Commission suggested that the platform “needs to change the basic design of its service” which include disabling infinite scroll, and implementing effective “screen time breaks” and “adapting its recommender system.” 

TikTok can exercise its right to defense. It may examine the documents in the Commission’s investigation files and reply in writing to the Commission’s preliminary findings,” the Commission said. – Rappler.com

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