The Commission considers that TikTok’s ‘For You’ feature breaches European regulations by promoting harmful content

The European Commission has made a preliminary finding that TikTok infringes the Digital Services Act due to the so-called ‘rabbit hole effect’ of its recommendation system. TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed shows users a continuous stream of personalised videos, even when these relate to mental health and body image issues.

The more a user interacts with a particular type of content, the more the ‘For You’ feed’s algorithm recommends similar content. This design can be harmful when such endless and repeated exposure includes, for example, content relating to sadness, isolation or body image. These content spirals can have a negative impact on users’ mental health, particularly that of vulnerable adults and children.

The preliminary findings focus on both risk assessment and mitigation measures.

Risk assessment

The Commission has provisionally found that TikTok did not adequately assess how its recommendation algorithm might lead users into such content spirals, thereby jeopardising their wellbeing. The preliminary findings show that the algorithm’s design may play a significant role in the emergence of these phenomena. The algorithm uses information on user interaction — such as viewing time or ‘likes’ — to personalise the content recommended to them.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, states:

‘Every time a user scrolls through TikTok or “likes” a video, the algorithm shows them more of the same and drags them into a content spiral from which it is difficult to escape. The Digital Services Act requires platforms to address the negative effects associated with their recommendation systems. Today’s preliminary findings show, once again, that TikTok must redouble its efforts to protect the wellbeing of users, including minors.”

For example, when a user repeatedly views or ‘likes’ content that may be sensitive — such as content about weight loss or body image — the system interprets these interactions as positive signals of interest and recommends more related content.

Repeated exposure to this type of content can have serious negative effects on users’ wellbeing, including increased feelings of sadness or anxiety, body dissatisfaction, lower self-esteem, or a worsening of existing eating disorders and mental health problems.

Risk mitigation measures

The findings also suggest, on a preliminary basis, that TikTok has not implemented proportionate, reasonable and effective mitigation measures to address these risks.

Although TikTok has already implemented certain measures to reduce the risk of the spiral effect, the Commission has reached the preliminary conclusion that these measures are not effective.

Measures designed to recommend more diverse content do not sufficiently reduce the frequency with which similar content continues to be recommended, including content relating to mental health and body image issues.

Nor do the control tools allow users to effectively manage the content recommended to them. For example, using the ‘Not Interested’ button may not be sufficient to alter the content feed. The algorithm prioritises viewing time as a criterion for recommending content, over the user’s choice to view less content of a particular type.

At this stage of the investigation, the Commission considers that TikTok should modify the design of the ‘For You’ feed. For example, TikTok should rely more on users’ explicit preferences, stop using viewing time as an indicator for recommending content, improve the accessibility and user-friendliness of the controls available to users, and carry out regular tests of its algorithm.

Next steps

TikTok now has the opportunity to exercise its right of defence. It will be able to examine the documents in the Commission’s investigation file and respond in writing to the Commission’s preliminary findings. In turn, the European Digital Services Board will be consulted.

If the European Commission’s conclusions are ultimately confirmed, it could issue a decision finding an infringement, which may result in a fine proportionate to the nature, gravity, repetition and duration of the infringement, and which may amount to a maximum of 6 per cent of the provider’s total annual worldwide turnover.

Background

The preliminary conclusions adopted by the Commission form part of its formal procedure to investigate TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act.

As part of this same procedure, the Commission adopted preliminary conclusions in February 2026 relating to addictive design, as well as others concerning the protection of minors in July of the same year. In addition, the procedure also covered researchers’ access to public data, on which preliminary conclusions were adopted in October 2025, and advertising transparency, an issue that was resolved through binding commitments in December 2025.

The Commission’s preliminary position is based on a thorough investigation that included an analysis of TikTok’s risk assessment reports, internal data and documents, and TikTok’s responses to multiple requests for information; a review of the extensive scientific research on this issue; and interviews with experts in a range of fields, including recommendation systems, psychology and psychiatry. The Irish Digital Services Coordinator, Coimisiún na Meán, has supported the Commission in this investigation.

These preliminary conclusions do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.

 

More information: European Commission