Overview
- The European Commission, which issued preliminary findings on Friday, ordered TikTok to stop using how long users watch videos as a core recommendation signal and to give people more control over the 'For You' feed.
- Brussels' report says the algorithm creates 'rabbit‑hole' loops that can deepen sadness, anxiety, body dissatisfaction and helpfully worsen eating disorders by repeatedly showing similar or escalating content.
- Regulators found TikTok's prior fixes, such as a 'not interested' button, did not change the core recommendation behavior and judged those measures insufficient to reduce the risks.
- Under the Digital Services Act the Commission has opened a formal enforcement process that lets TikTok respond or propose remedies and could lead to penalties of up to 6 percent of global turnover if the findings are confirmed.
- The action builds on a multi‑year probe into addictive design and youth protection and signals broader EU scrutiny of recommendation systems on other platforms, with practical effects likely for product rules, user controls and research access.