Overview
- The European Commission issued preliminary findings on Friday, Nov. 6, charging TikTok with breaching the Digital Services Act by using a recommender that drives users into repeated, similar videos.
- Brussels found that the For You feed's reliance on engagement signals like viewing time and likes can push vulnerable users toward content about sadness, isolation and body image and harm their mental health.
- The commission said existing controls such as the 'not interested' button and an optional non‑personalized feed are ineffective and ordered TikTok to give more weight to explicit user preferences and to test its algorithm regularly.
- TikTok and owner ByteDance reject the findings and can now review the evidence, respond and propose remedies while facing a potential fine of up to 6 percent of global annual turnover if the issues remain unresolved.
- Civil‑society groups welcomed the move and regulators say this enforcement is a precedent that could reshape how platforms worldwide must design and audit recommendation systems to protect users, especially children.