Technology news and discussion on TalkFuse.
EU says TikTok’s recommendations may breach digital services rules
Developing story first seen 1 hour ago
The European Commission says TikTok’s recommendation system may breach the Digital Services Act because it could repeatedly show users similar content and draw them into harmful “rabbit holes”. The preliminary finding adds to the EU’s scrutiny of the platform and focuses on potential effects on mental health, especially for minors and vulnerable adults.
The Commission says TikTok did not adequately assess or reduce these risks, and that the “not interested” button may not sufficiently change users’ feeds. It wants the company to give more weight to users’ stated preferences, stop using viewing time to recommend content, improve controls and test its algorithm regularly. TikTok disputes the claims; if the EU confirms a breach, ByteDance could face a fine of up to 6 per cent of annual global revenue.
- Sources
- 2
- Outlets
- 2
- Left · Centre · Right
- 0 · 1 · 0
In short
- EU says TikTok recommendations may breach the DSA.
- Regulators cite risks from repeated exposure to similar content.
- ByteDance could face a fine of up to 6 per cent of global revenue.
How this story developed
- 5 minutes ago TikTok rejected the preliminary findings, saying they misrepresented its platform and safety measures; if the EU confirms a breach and the company fails to address it, ByteDance could face a fine of up to 6 per cent of annual global revenue.
- 14 minutes ago The Commission set out proposed changes, including giving more weight to users’ stated preferences, ending the use of viewing time to shape recommendations, improving controls and testing the algorithm, while questioning whether “not interested” meaningfully changes feeds.
- 59 minutes ago The European Commission issued preliminary findings alleging TikTok’s For You system may breach the Digital Services Act by steering users towards harmful content, and said the platform had not adequately assessed or reduced the risks, particularly for minors and vulnerable adults.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Commission’s case is that a recommendation system can repeatedly steer people towards increasingly harmful material, with particular risks for minors and vulnerable adults. Requiring TikTok to assess those risks, test its system and give users more control could help protect users while making the platform more accountable for how its design shapes what they see.
The case against
TikTok’s case is that the Commission’s preliminary findings misrepresent its platform and the safety measures already in place. Changing recommendations as proposed could limit how well the service reflects users’ interests, and any penalties should depend on a fair assessment of the evidence and whether TikTok has actually breached the rules.
Coverage · 2 sources
Cybersecurity Europe Health Mental Health Technology Trending Weird & Viral World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Engadget as “The EU accuses TikTok’s ‘rabbit hole’ algorithm of breaching its content rules”.