EU targets ‘addictive’ TikTok

The app’s features such as infinite scroll and autoplay push users into “autopilot” mode, regulators have claimed

The European Commission (EC) has accused social media platform TikTok of an “addictive design” in its app and threatened the company with massive fines over features regulators claim encourage compulsive use.

In a statement on Friday, the EC said TikTok’s features, including infinite scroll and autoplay, keep users engaged for prolonged periods, shifting the brain into an “autopilot mode.”

“TikTok did not adequately assess how these addictive features could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of its users, including minors and vulnerable adults,” the statement reads.

Under the EU’s Digital Services Act, which enforces platform accountability and content moderation, TikTok could face fines of up to 6% of its global turnover for serious breaches. The Chinese-owned platform, which has more than one billion users worldwide, could post around $35 billion in revenue this year, according to estimates from the World Advertising Research Centre.

TikTok rejected the commission’s findings, calling them “a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction” of its platform.

The platform is also under a separate EC investigation launched in December 2024 over alleged foreign interference in Romania’s presidential elections. The country’s Constitutional Court annulled the first round vote after intelligence services alleged anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu’s lead stemmed from foreign meddling via TikTok – a claim the company rejected.

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This week, a US House Judiciary Committee report described the EC’s actions as “the most aggressive censorship” in recent years. The report said the allegations were part of a broader decade-long effort by the Commission to pressure social media platforms to curb content in the name of “hate speech” and “disinformation.”

The EU’s crackdown on Big Tech has drawn criticism from the US government, which has threatened tariffs in response. Last year, the EC fined Elon Musk’s X €120 million ($140 million) over a “deceptive” verification badge and advert restrictions. Musk has called the EU a “bureaucratic monster” which “should be abolished.”

Several European countries, including France, Australia, Germany, and the UK, are moving to limit social media access for younger teenagers amid concerns over their impact.