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Brussels has warned TikTok that its endlessly scrolling feeds may breach Europe’s new content rules, as regulators press ahead with efforts to rein in the social effects of big online platforms.
In preliminary findings issued on Friday, the European Commission said it believed the group had failed to adequately assess and mitigate the risks posed by addictive design features that could harm users’ physical and mental wellbeing, particularly children and other vulnerable groups.
The warning marks one of the most advanced tests yet of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires large online platforms to identify and curb systemic risks linked to their products.
By constantly “rewarding” users with new content, TikTok’s design fuels the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into “autopilot mode”, the Commission said.
“Social media addiction can have detrimental effects on the developing minds of children and teens,” said Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s tech chief. “In Europe, we enforce our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online.”
If the provisional conclusions are confirmed, the social media platform could be fined up to 6 per cent of its global turnover.
TikTok said: “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.”
TikTok is owned by China’s ByteDance, although a recent deal with the Trump administration will spin off its US arm into a joint venture majority owned by American investors. The venture will provide data and algorithm security, while ByteDance will retain control of the app’s main business lines in the US, including ecommerce, advertising and marketing.
European watchdogs have previously taken action against TikTok for breaking the bloc’s digital rules. Last year, Irish regulators issued a €530mn fine against TikTok for sending users’ data to China, while Brussels has also probed its online advertising practices.
The EU’s move on Friday comes as other nations move closer to social media bans for teenagers.
Earlier this week, Spain was the latest country to announce it will stop access to social media for children under the age of 16 to curb the potentially harmful impact of online content on young people.
France and the UK are also considering similar measures, following the lead of Australia which in December became the first country in the world to ban under-16s from holding accounts for 10 apps deemed to be potentially harmful to teenagers and children.
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