TikTok’s For You page needs to change, says the EU

The European Commission has preliminarily found that TikTok may have breached the EU’s Digital Services Act because its recommendation algorithm can lead users into “rabbit holes” of similar content. Regulators say repeated exposure to material about sadness, isolation or body image could harm users, and argue that TikTok’s existing controls have not proved effective.

TikTok must change the design of its For You feed or risk fines of up to 6 per cent of its global annual turnover. The Commission’s findings follow earlier concerns about the platform’s addictive design and mark the first time it has cited a recommendation algorithm as the reason for a possible breach. The EU has also scrutinised companies including X, Meta, Temu and AliExpress under the rules introduced in 2023.