In preliminary findings from an investigation that sought to determine TikTok’s compliance with the European Union’s far-reaching Digital Services Act, the Commission said the short video platform did not “adequately assess” how its design decisions could harm the well-being of its users, particularly minors and vulnerable adults.
The EU’s executive arm said the company disregarded “important indicators of compulsive use of the app” like the time users spend at night, and how often users 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 wrote in a statement.
The Commission said TikTok must change the “basic design” of its user interface by disabling features like infinite scroll, implementing screen time breaks, and changing its recommendation system.
TikTok denied the allegations.
“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.
MNA
