EU orders TikTok to fix ‘addictive’ design or face massive fines

The European Union has warned TikTok that it must change what regulators describe as the app’s “addictive design” or risk fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue under the Digital Services Act (DSA). EU officials say TikTok failed to properly assess how features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and its powerful recommendation algorithms affect users, particularly minors, and did not implement enough safeguards to reduce those risks.

In its preliminary findings, the European Commission argues that these design choices are not neutral UI decisions but structures that can encourage excessive use and potentially harm children’s mental health. Suggested remedies include stronger night-time screen-time breaks, dialing back engagement-driven recommendation systems, and rethinking or limiting infinite scroll to reduce endless, frictionless consumption of content.

TikTok has strongly rejected the accusations, calling the Commission’s view “categorically false and entirely meritless” and saying it will challenge the decision. The company now has an opportunity to formally respond before Brussels decides whether to impose penalties. Under the DSA, the EU can levy fines of up to 6% of a company’s worldwide turnover for serious violations, making this a potentially multibillion-dollar hit for TikTok’s parent company ByteDance if the findings are upheld.

Online safety experts say the case signals a shift in how regulators approach social platforms, from targeting only “toxic content” to also scrutinizing “toxic design,” the engagement mechanics that keep users hooked. Analysts describe it as a warning shot to the whole industry, suggesting that attention-maximizing UX patterns and dark design choices are now firmly on the regulatory radar, not just in Europe but likely in other markets watching how the DSA is enforced.