Does the European Union have the authority to mandate changes to TikTok‘s For You Page? The continental body is making that claim.
The E.U. announced on Wednesday that the addictive design of the FYP violates the Digital Services Act. A press release discusses the “rabbit hole effect” of TikTok’s infinitely scrolling vertical feed, which is filled with personalized recommendations.
“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,” said Henna Virkkunen, the E.U.’s EVP of Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, in a statement. “The Digital Services Act makes platforms responsible for addressing the negative effects related to their recommender system. Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors.”
The E.U. passed the Digital Services Act in 2022 to give itself a mechanism it can use to regulate the world’s biggest social media companies. The DSA, as the law is known, is particularly focused on negative mental health consequences — including addictive behaviors — that can affect kids when they scroll through their feeds.
U. officials cited the DSA when they requested the development of a depersonalized TikTok algorithm , which the app subsequently rolled out. Now, as those leaders set their sights on the FYP, they are making similar requests. One point of contention is the “not interested” icon, which has long been cited as an ineffective form of control for users who don’t want to see specific types of content.
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