EU demands TikTok alter 'addictive design' or face hefty fines

The European Union has insisted that TikTok must alter its "habit-forming design" or it will incur substantial fines. 

This comes after the video-sharing platform was found to breach online safety regulations.

The development follows an inquiry launched by the European Commission into the Chinese-owned application in February 2024.

In its initial report, the Commission stated TikTok had not "sufficiently evaluated" the potential negative impact of features such as autoplay on users' mental health, particularly among children, and noted a failure to implement strategies to address these threats.

A representative from TikTok informed the BBC that the report was a "completely erroneous and baseless portrayal of our app" and indicated plans to contest the findings.

The platform has been given the opportunity to address the EU's assessment. Depending on the response, the Commission could impose a fine on TikTok of up to 6% of its total global annual revenue, which is estimated to be in the tens of billions.

Henna Virkkunen, the EU's technology head, informed journalists that TikTok must "revise the design of their service within Europe" to avoid financial penalties.

The Commission provided several recommendations for changes the platform might adopt, such as introducing "screen time breaks" for users during nighttime and revising its algorithms that offer tailored content to users.

Additionally, the suggestion was made for TikTok to deactivate the "infinite scroll" feature, which enables users to move rapidly through countless videos on the app.

"The Digital Services Act holds platforms accountable for the impact they have on their users," Virkkunen remarked.

"Within Europe, we enforce our rules to safeguard our children and citizens in the digital realm."