EU tells TikTok to change For You feed or face fines

The European Commission has told TikTok to change the design of its For You feed or risk fines of up to 6 percent of its global annual turnover, after preliminary findings that the platform’s recommendation algorithm breaches the EU’s Digital Services Act.

The Commission announced the findings on Friday, November 6, 2026. It alleges TikTok’s algorithm creates a “rabbit hole effect” by serving users more of the same content each time they scroll or like a video, leading to “endless and repeated exposure” to material related to sadness, isolation, or body image.

“Every time a user scrolls or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more of the same leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from,” Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission’s executive vice president of tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, said in the press release. “Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors.”

The Commission said TikTok did not “adequately assess” how its recommendation algorithm put users’ wellbeing at risk. It warned that repeated exposure to certain content could lead to “increased feelings of sadness or anxiety, body dissatisfaction, lower self-esteem, or worsening of existing eating disorders.”

The EU said TikTok has implemented controls to mitigate the algorithm’s “rabbit hole effect,” but its preliminary findings suggest they are not effective. It gave examples of changes the platform could make, including relying more on users’ explicit preferences, because the “not interested” button “may not be enough to change the content feed”; disabling viewing time as an indicator to recommend content; and increasing the accessibility and ease of use of user controls, along with regularly testing its algorithm.

This is the first time the Commission has cited a recommendation algorithm as the reason for a breach of the Digital Services Act, according to Politico as reported by The Verge. The EU enacted the Digital Services Act in 2023, a set of rules that hold tech companies legally accountable for their impact on users. Since then, the Commission has targeted several companies for allegedly violating the regulations, including X, Meta, Temu, and AliExpress.

The demand follows earlier EU action against TikTok. In February, the EU told TikTok to change its “addictive design” features. In July, it accused TikTok of exposing children to risks like cyberbullying and predatory behaviour. The EU also told Meta in July to change the “addictive design” of Facebook and Instagram in investigations started under the DSA.

A senior EU official said the February findings on TikTok focused on features like notifications, whereas Friday’s view was about the algorithm itself. The official admitted the EU was targeting TikTok’s engagement-based business model, which observers say makes the platform popular.

TikTok can now access the EU’s files and defend itself against the accusations. If the EU regulator’s views are confirmed, the commission can impose a fine of up to six percent of the company’s total worldwide annual turnover.

TikTok and Meta face similar scrutiny around the world, especially in the United States, where there have been claims lodged with the courts over the dangers the platforms pose to young people. TikTok in September avoided a trial after agreeing to pay Alabama at least $100 million and enact time limits and other restrictions for teen users.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.