EU charges TikTok with failing to protect users’ mental health
Summary
The European Commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok failed to protect users, especially young and vulnerable people, from repetitive content that could worsen anxiety, eating disorders and other mental health problems. The Commission says TikTok’s safeguards were ineffective and wants changes to the For You feed; the company can review the case and respond before officials make a final decision.Key Facts
- TikTok has 189 million users in the European Union, according to the article.
- The investigation focused on how repeated exposure to legal content can affect users, even when individual videos are not harmful on their own.
- The Commission found that selecting “not interested” did not reliably stop TikTok from recommending similar content about diet and body image.
- The Commission said refreshing the feed offered only brief relief from repeated content on a topic.
- The findings are part of an investigation opened in February 2024 under the EU Digital Services Act.
- TikTok can review the investigation file and present a defence, and it could agree to change its recommendation system.
- If the Commission confirms the findings, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global turnover.
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