Overview
- On Friday, November 6, 2026 the European Commission issued a binding instruction requiring TikTok to stop using watch‑time as a main recommendation signal and to give users stronger control of their 'For You' feed.
- Brussels said the measure targets a so‑called 'Rabbit Hole' effect in which extended viewing drives the algorithm to show similar and increasingly extreme content that can worsen sadness, anxiety and eating disorders.
- The Commission judged earlier fixes such as a 'not interested' option to be insufficient and has asked TikTok to propose concrete changes before it decides on further enforcement.
- If the Commission confirms its findings the company could face a penalty of up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover under the Digital Services Act, with Ireland’s regulator involved in the probe.
- The move marks a wider EU push to curb harms from recommender systems and could force TikTok and parent ByteDance to alter core parts of their business model and how millions of users experience the app.