EU Commission finds TikTok breaching law over addictive features

A preliminary EU Commission investigation has found TikTok in violation of the Digital Services Act due to its addictive design, including infinite scroll. The ruling urges the platform to implement changes to reduce harm to users, encompassing minors and vulnerable adults.

The EU Commission has declared TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act owing to features deemed addictive, such as infinite scroll. The preliminary investigation highlights how these elements cause harm to users, particularly minors and vulnerable adults.

The findings call for modifications to these features to mitigate risks. No further specifics on penalties or compliance timelines were provided in the report. This probe forms part of the EU's broader efforts to regulate digital services and safeguard users from potential harm.

It underscores growing concerns over social media addiction in Europe, emphasizing the need for stricter oversight of platforms like TikTok.

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Realistic illustration depicting EU regulators finding TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act over addictive features like infinite scroll, with fines looming.
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EU finds TikTok in breach over addictive design features

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The European Commission has issued preliminary findings declaring TikTok's addictive design elements a violation of the Digital Services Act, potentially leading to fines up to 6% of its global turnover. The regulator highlighted features like infinite scroll and personalized recommendations that could harm users' wellbeing, especially minors. TikTok plans to challenge the accusations vigorously.

The European Commission has preliminarily found TikTok's design addictive, violating EU digital laws and potentially leading to a fine of up to 6% of ByteDance's global revenue. The probe highlights risks to users' physical and mental well-being, particularly minors and vulnerable adults.

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A study reveals that teenagers on TikTok are exposed to highly targeted undisclosed advertisements, bypassing the European Union's prohibition on profiling minors for ads. Researchers found that while formal ads comply with the law, hidden promotional content dominates and is aggressively personalized. This loophole in the Digital Services Act allows platforms to deliver commercial material disguised as regular posts.

The Swedish government has received approval from the EU Commission for a fast-track on a new law forcing social media platforms to remove gang recruitment material within one hour. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer described it as the first such legislation in any EU member state. The law targets the recruitment of children into gangs via platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

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TikTok announced the closure of a joint venture for its U.S. operations on January 23, 2026, with U.S. and global investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX holding an 80.1% stake and parent ByteDance retaining 19.9%. Valued at $14 billion, the TikTok USDS Joint Venture aims to protect American user data and the platform's algorithm in Oracle's U.S. cloud, addressing years of national security worries. The deal drew praise from President Trump but skepticism from lawmakers on remaining Chinese influence.

As countries like Australia and Spain advance bans on social media for children, the Philippines is now considering similar restrictions to protect youth from online risks, though no decision has been reached.

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Meta Platforms' Japanese arm has announced that Instagram will add a new feature in Japan this year, notifying parents if children aged 13-17 repeatedly search for suicide or self-harm content on the app. This requires parents to link their accounts to their child's. Additionally, it will soon introduce restrictions on access to posts about drugs and dangerous behavior.

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