The European Commission has demanded that TikTok revise the operation of its recommendation algorithm in the "For You" feed. The regulator has preliminarily established that the current system can repeatedly offer users potentially harmful content and does not provide sufficient protection for their psychological well-being.
This was announced on November 6 by the European Commission following an investigation into compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Brussels has preliminarily determined a violation of DSA requirements related to the assessment of systemic risks and the adoption of effective measures to reduce them. The claims concern the so-called "rabbit hole" effect, where the algorithm gradually plunges the user into an endless stream of similar videos.
According to the Commission's findings, the more a person watches certain content, likes or interacts with similar publications, the more similar videos TikTok offers them.
Such a mechanism can be dangerous when a user is constantly shown materials about depression, loneliness, dissatisfaction with their own appearance, or eating disorders. The regulator expresses particular concern about the possible consequences for minors and vulnerable adults.
European officials determined that TikTok had not sufficiently assessed such risks. At the same time, the protective mechanisms already introduced by the company, according to preliminary conclusions, do not achieve the required result.
In particular, the "Not interested" button does not always allow the user to change the content of the feed. The algorithm may continue to recommend similar videos because it pays more attention to watch duration than to the user's explicitly expressed desire not to see certain materials.
To address the identified problems, the European Commission proposes to revise the principles of shaping personalized recommendations. Among the possible changes:
- Discontinuation of the use of watch duration as a signal for recommending similar content.
- Increasing the importance of users' explicitly expressed preferences.
- Simplifying access to recommendation management settings.
- Regular testing of the algorithm to identify potentially harmful sequences of videos.
Vice-President of the European Commission Henna Virkkunen emphasized that platforms must take into account the consequences of the operation of recommendation systems and ensure the protection of users, especially minors.
TikTok disagreed with the regulator's preliminary conclusions. A platform spokesperson told Euronews that the European Commission incorrectly describes the service and the existing safety mechanisms.
The company claims that users already have tools to manage recommendations, and TikTok takes the necessary measures to protect its audience.
If the violations are confirmed, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its annual global turnover. However, at this stage, financial sanctions have not been imposed.
The platform has been given the opportunity to review the investigation materials and submit written objections. After considering the company's position, the European Commission will be able to make a final decision.
The investigation into TikTok has been ongoing since 2024. In February 2026, the European Commission had already presented preliminary findings about potentially addictive elements of the app, including infinite scrolling, auto-play of videos, and push notifications.
The current proceedings concern the operation of the recommendation algorithm itself. If the requirements for its functioning are changed, TikTok users in EU countries may get more opportunities to manage their personalized feed.
