The European Commission, publishing the preliminary findings of an investigation launched two years ago, said that TikTok had not taken effective steps to mitigate the negative consequences of some of its features, especially for young people and children.
The commission said TikTok is likely to “breach the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to its addictive design,” including features such as endless scrolling, autoplay, push notifications and a highly personalized recommendation system, AFP reports.
The investigation has so far found that TikTok does too little to “assess how these features may harm the physical and mental health of users, including minors and vulnerable adults.”
In order to solve these problems and avoid the risk of high fines, the EU’s head of digital technology, Henna Virkkunen, said that TikTok must take action and change the design of its service in Europe to protect minors.
The commission listed examples of changes the platform could make, including an “infinite scrolling” feature that offers users uninterrupted content, the introduction of effective “screen breaks” including at night,
adaptation of the recommendation system, i.e. algorithms that offer users more personalized content.
The February 2024 investigation was the first launched against TikTok under the DSA, the EU’s powerful content moderation law, which has previously drawn criticism from the US administration.
The DSA is part of a strengthened legal framework the EU has adopted in recent years to curb abuses by big tech companies, and officials said TikTok has so far cooperated with European digital regulators.
The commission’s findings raised concerns about TikTok’s design features that “encourage users to keep scrolling.”
Brussels accused TikTok of ignoring “important warnings about compulsive use of the app”, such as the amount of time children spend on the platform at night.
Also, the Commission stated that TikTok did not implement effective measures to mitigate risks, particularly in relation to screen time management and parental control tools.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
