European regulators are turning up the heat on TikTok, arguing that the app’s most popular viewing features were intentionally built to keep people hooked. On Friday, the European Commission accused TikTok of purposefully designing an “addictive” experience, pointing to infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and the platform’s recommendation engine as key drivers of compulsive use.
The accusations appear in the Commission’s preliminary findings from an investigation examining whether TikTok is meeting its obligations under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of rules aimed at making major online platforms safer and more accountable. Regulators say TikTok failed to properly evaluate how core design choices could affect user well-being, with particular concern for minors and other vulnerable users.
According to the Commission, TikTok did not “adequately assess” the potential harms linked to how the app nudges people into continuing to watch. Officials also claim the company ignored “important indicators of compulsive use,” including patterns like how much time users spend on the app late at night and how frequently they open it throughout the day.
The Commission’s concern centers on what it describes as a reward loop: serving an endless stream of fresh content that encourages users to keep going without stopping to make an intentional choice. Regulators said that by continuously offering new videos, certain design elements can push users into an “autopilot mode,” making it harder to disengage and potentially weakening self-control. The Commission cited scientific research suggesting these patterns may contribute to compulsive behavior.
As part of its expectations, the Commission said TikTok should make changes to what it described as the “basic design” of its user interface. That includes measures such as disabling infinite scroll, introducing more meaningful screen-time breaks, and adjusting the recommendation system to reduce the risk of addictive use patterns.
TikTok strongly rejected the Commission’s claims. A company spokesperson said the preliminary findings present a “categorically false and entirely meritless depiction” of the platform, adding that TikTok plans to challenge the findings using every available option.
While TikTok already offers screen-time management features and parental controls, EU regulators said those tools fall short. The Commission argued that time limits can be too easy to dismiss and don’t add enough friction to genuinely help users reduce usage. Regulators also questioned whether parental controls are practical at scale, noting that they may require extra time and technical know-how from parents to set up effectively.
The case lands amid rising global pressure on social media companies over youth safety and digital well-being. Governments in multiple countries are exploring tougher age restrictions and access rules for minors. Australia has mandated that social platforms deactivate accounts for users under 16, and the U.K. and Spain are reportedly considering similar steps. France, Denmark, Italy, and Norway have also worked on age-related measures, while in the United States, two dozen states have enacted age-verification laws.
TikTok recently settled a significant social media addiction lawsuit in the U.S., and it now has time to respond formally to the European Commission’s preliminary findings. If EU regulators ultimately confirm violations of the Digital Services Act, consequences can be severe, including penalties that may reach up to 6% of the company’s global annual turnover.
The Commission’s findings are preliminary, but the message is clear: in the EU, the design of an app is no longer just a product choice—it can also be treated as a compliance issue, especially when features are seen as shaping behavior in ways that may harm users.
