The European Commission on Friday accused TikTok of intentionally designing its app to be “addictive”, with features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and a recommendation engine.
In preliminary findings of an investigation aimed at determining whether TikTok complies with the European Union’s broader digital services law, the European Commission said the short video platform had not “adequately assessed” how its design decisions could negatively impact the well-being of its users, particularly minors and vulnerable adults.
The EU’s enforcement arm said the company ignored “key indicators of compulsive use of the app” such as the amount of time users spend at night and how often they open the app.
“By constantly ‘rewarding’ users with new content, TikTok’s specific design features stimulate the urge to keep scrolling, putting users’ brains into ‘autopilot mode.’ “Scientific research shows that this can lead to compulsive behavior and reduce users’ self-control,” the commission said in a statement.
The commission said TikTok needs to change the “fundamental design” of its user interface by disabling features such as infinite scrolling, introducing screen time breaks and changing its recommendation system.
TikTok denied the allegations.
“The European Commission’s preliminary findings paint a categorically false and completely meritless portrayal of our platform, and we will take all steps necessary to contest these findings through all available means,” a TikTok spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
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TikTok offers time management tools and parental controls, but the European Commission said these tools are not sufficient to reduce the risk of addictive designs. “Time management tools are unlikely to be effective in helping users reduce or control their use of TikTok because they are easily ignored and cause limited friction. Similarly, parental controls may not be effective because they require additional time and skill from parents to implement controls,” the committee wrote.
The allegations against TikTok come as social media platforms grapple with increased scrutiny around the world, with some governments pushing to ban young users from accessing the social media altogether. Australia in November required social media sites to disable accounts for users under 16, and the UK and Spain are reportedly considering similar measures. France, Denmark, Italy and Norway are working on similar age-restriction measures for social media platforms, and 24 states in the U.S. have enacted age-verification laws so far.
TikTok recently settled a major social media addiction lawsuit in the US, giving it time to respond to the European Commission’s preliminary findings. Confirmed violations of the DSA can result in a range of significant sanctions, including fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.
This story has been updated to include TikTok reaction.
