The European Commission has reached the preliminary conclusion that TikTok’s “For You” recommendation system may infringe the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to the risks it could pose to users’ wellbeing, particularly that of minors and vulnerable individuals.
According to the European investigation, the platform’s algorithm may favour so-called “rabbit holes”, meaning continued exposure to similar content that increases as users interact with it. The European Commission considers that continued exposure to content with a harmful impact on mental health could have negative effects on users’ wellbeing, such as increased anxiety, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem or the worsening of mental health disorders.
Furthermore, the institution considers that TikTok did not adequately assess these risks or adopt effective mitigation measures. Among other issues, it notes that the current tools for personalising recommendations or reducing exposure to certain content do not provide users with effective control over what is recommended for viewing on the platform.
For this reason, the Commission considers that the company should introduce changes to the design of its recommendation system, giving greater weight to preferences expressed directly by users, disabling viewing time as an indicator for recommending content, improving the accessibility of control tools and subjecting the algorithm to periodic reviews.
These findings are preliminary and do not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation. TikTok will now have the opportunity to submit observations and exercise its rights of defence. Should non-compliance with the Digital Services Act ultimately be confirmed, the platform could face penalties of up to 6% of its annual worldwide turnover.
The action forms part of the European Union’s efforts to ensure that large digital platforms identify, assess and mitigate the risks that their systems may generate for consumers and users.
Source of information: European Commission.