The European Commission has preliminarily found that TikTok violates the Digital Services Act because its For You recommendation algorithm can create a “rabbit hole effect,” repeatedly exposing users to potentially harmful content involving topics such as sadness, isolation and body image. TikTok must change the feed’s design or potentially face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.
Preliminary Findings on Algorithmic Harm
“Every time a user scrolls or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more of the same leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from,” Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission’s executive vice president of tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, says in the press release. “Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors.”
Context of Previous Concerns
The findings come months after the EU Commission declared that TikTok’s design is too “addictive.” While TikTok has implemented controls to mitigate the algorithm’s “rabbit hole effect,” the Commission says its preliminary findings suggest that they’re not effective. Responding to the European Commission’s preliminary findings, Lisa Dittmer, Amnesty International Researcher on Children and Young People’s Digital Rights, said: “The Commission’s preliminary finding that TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed puts users’ wellbeing at risk is a welcome and urgently needed step in the fight for accountability and safer online platforms.”
TikTok Must Comply with European Regulation
Amnesty International’s research has repeatedly documented how TikTok draws some children into rabbit holes of depressive and suicidal ideation content. The European Commission’s decision echoes our conclusion that TikTok had failed to adequately assess and mitigate these risks. TikTok must now finally comply with European regulation and ensure that its platform is safe for children and adults alike. At the time of writing TikTok had not publicly responded to the preliminary findings.
