EU says TikTok must disable ‘addictive’ features like infinite scroll, fix its recommendation engine

The European Commission on Friday accused TikTok of deliberately designing its app to be “addictive,” pointing to features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the platform’s recommendation engine.

In preliminary conclusions from an investigation examining TikTok’s compliance with the European Union’s sweeping Digital Services Act, the Commission said the company failed to “adequately assess” how its product design choices could negatively affect user well-being, particularly for minors and vulnerable adults.

The EU’s executive arm said TikTok ignored “important indicators of compulsive use of the app,” including how much time users spend on the platform late at night and how frequently they open it.

“By constantly ‘rewarding’ users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into ‘autopilot mode.’ Scientific research shows that this may lead to compulsive behaviour and reduce users’ self-control,” the Commission said in a statement.

According to the Commission, TikTok must change the “basic design” of its user interface by disabling features such as infinite scroll, introducing mandatory screen-time breaks, and modifying its recommendation system.

TikTok rejected the accusations.

“The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us,” a TikTok spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

While TikTok currently offers screen-time management tools and parental controls, the European Commission said those measures are insufficient to counteract the risks created by the app’s design. “The time management tools do not seem to be effective in enabling users to reduce and control their use of TikTok because they are easy to dismiss and introduce limited friction. Similarly, parental controls may not be effective because they require additional time and skills from parents to introduce the controls,” the Commission wrote.

The accusations come amid growing global scrutiny of social media platforms, with governments increasingly considering restrictions on youth access. In November, Australia required social media companies to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16, while the U.K. and Spain are reportedly exploring similar policies. France, Denmark, Italy, and Norway have also implemented age-restriction initiatives for social platforms, and in the United States, 24 states have enacted age-verification laws.

TikTok recently settled a significant social media addiction lawsuit in the U.S., and the company now has time to formally respond to the European Commission’s preliminary findings. If violations of the Digital Services Act are confirmed, TikTok could face severe penalties, including fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.