Amnesty International published a report on Tuesday accusing TikTok of exposing young people to toxic content through its algorithms. The NGO estimates that this endangers their mental and physical health. It has seized Arcom for failures to comply with European legal obligations.
In a report titled «Entraîné·e·s dans le «rabbit hole» : de nouvelles preuves montrent les risques de TikTok pour la santé mentale des enfants», published on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, Amnesty International highlights the dangers of the Chinese platform. The NGO uses the image of a rabbit with a menacing look to illustrate the «rabbit hole» concept, referring to the spiral effect of TikTok's algorithms.
The principle is straightforward: the more a user shows interest in a topic through their behavior on the app, the more they are exposed to related content. This includes videos promoting depression, self-harm, or suicide, particularly among young people. Amnesty International emphasizes that this phenomenon poses a major risk to users' mental and physical integrity.
Believing that TikTok fails to meet its obligations under European laws, the NGO has seized the Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique (Arcom). This action denounces the platform's shortcomings in protecting minors from toxic content. The report provides new evidence on these risks, calling for stricter regulation.