Overview
- The European Commission’s preliminary findings say TikTok’s infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and highly personalized recommender system foster compulsive use.
- Officials conclude TikTok did not adequately assess or mitigate risks to children and vulnerable adults, citing ineffective screen‑time and parental tools and signs such as nighttime use and frequent app openings.
- Proposed remedies include disabling infinite scroll over time, implementing effective screen‑time breaks including at night, and adapting the recommendation system to curb compulsive behavior.
- If the conclusions are later confirmed, the Commission can issue a non‑compliance decision and levy fines of up to 6% of ByteDance’s global annual turnover, with no deadline announced for a final decision.
- TikTok called the assessment "categorically false" and said it will challenge the case after reviewing the evidence and submitting a written defense, as parallel probes of other major platforms proceed.