The European Commission has charged TikTok with failing to protect users’ mental health.
EU Findings Focus On Repeated Exposure
The EU regulator issued a preliminary ruling on Friday that TikTok’s algorithm “can be harmful”. TikTok has 189 million users in the EU. The European Commission’s preliminary findings say the platform continuously exposes users to content that could harm their well-being and mental health. Officials said the investigation focused on legal content, putting the scrutiny on how the service recommends and repeats material rather than on whether an individual video is unlawful.¹²
The Commission’s findings describe repeated exposure to themes such as body image or isolation, after TikTok failed to prevent users from being served repetitive material on those subjects. The regulator said that pattern can harm minors and vulnerable adults when they repeatedly encounter videos about sadness, isolation or body image. The concern is cumulative: a feed can keep returning a user to a narrow subject, rather than showing one isolated video.¹²
User Controls Did Not Stop Similar Recommendations
One example concerns a user who selects “not interested” on a video about eating patterns. TikTok’s algorithm would still offer similar content about diet and body image, according to the findings. The system continued to prioritise a subject the user had signalled they did not want, instead of respecting that preference. The example shows the gap between the feedback a viewer gives through the control and the recommendations that follow.¹²
The Commission’s findings describe repeated exposure to themes such as body image or isolation, after TikTok failed to prevent users from being served repetitive material on those subjects.
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Read More →Refreshing the feed offered only a brief respite from a stream of content on one topic, the findings said. Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s lead official on tech policy, described a similar loop: “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.” Her account links ordinary viewing actions—scrolling or liking—to further recommendations on the same subject.¹²
EU Officials Want Changes To The ForYou Feed
EU officials want TikTok to change the design of its ForYou feed. A Commission official said a business model focused mainly on engagement “can potentially create a risk”, especially for minors and vulnerable adults. The concern ties the feed’s design to repeated exposure: the findings describe recommendations continuing after a user signals disinterest, while officials have identified groups they consider especially at risk from an engagement-led model.¹²
The findings sit within an investigation launched in February 2024 under the Digital Services Act. The Commission has already found that TikTok violated EU rules over addictive design features such as infinite scroll. That earlier finding puts the feed’s design within the wider regulatory scrutiny of the platform, alongside the current examination of recommendations and their possible effects on users.¹²
The probe has also produced allegations that TikTok’s addictive design features breach EU safety requirements and that the platform is putting children’s safety at risk. Those allegations add safety concerns to the wider inquiry into the app’s design and content recommendations.¹²
TikTok Disputes The Findings As A Fine Remains Possible
TikTok disputed the Commission’s account, saying the preliminary findings present “a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform”. If the Commission confirms a breach of the Digital Services Act, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The penalty is conditional on confirmation of a breach; the preliminary findings do not state that a fine has been imposed.¹²
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Read More →The Commission has also taken action over TikTok’s transparency. A complaint about a lack of transparency over who paid for its advertising was resolved when the company made binding commitments to change its policies last December. In 2025, the Commission accused TikTok of breaching EU transparency standards, but the platform avoided a fine by bringing its app in line with EU law.¹²
The findings sit within an investigation launched in February 2024 under the Digital Services Act.
Algorithmic Feed Design Is Now a Career Skill
If you build or manage recommendation systems, the EU's preliminary ruling that TikTok's algorithm can be harmful changes what employers will ask you to design. The regulator found that the platform failed to prevent repetitive content on body image or isolation, and that a 'not interested' signal did not stop similar recommendations. Expect hiring managers to value engineers who can build feedback loops that respect user preferences, not just engagement metrics. A business model focused mainly on engagement now carries regulatory risk, so your ability to propose safer feed designs becomes a concrete selling point.¹²
For content creators and social media managers, the ruling signals that platforms may be forced to change how they surface material. The Commission's findings describe how scrolling or liking leads users down rabbit holes, and officials want TikTok to alter its ForYou feed. If you rely on algorithmic reach, plan for feeds that may become less repetitive and more diverse. Also, if you work in policy or compliance, the investigation launched in February 2024 under the Digital Services Act shows that transparency and safety requirements are tightening. A fine of up to 6% of global turnover means platforms will invest in compliance roles, so expertise in EU digital rules is becoming more valuable.¹²
Sources
Written by Career Ahead AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify key facts. Report errors to support@careeraheadonline.com
