The European Commission (EC) said on Friday, Nov. 6, that preliminary findings show TikTok's "For You" feed design breaches the Digital Services Act, the bloc's online content rulebook. The Commission said this is the first time it has cited a recommendation algorithm as the reason for a breach [1].
The case was opened in February 2024 and remains open. No final decision was announced, and the Commission said TikTok can inspect the file and reply [2].
The Commission added that its investigation focused on lawful content, not illegal videos. Officials said a single video of a given kind might not be problematic, but many shown one after another could be [2].
Case Opened in February 2024
The European Commission opened the proceedings in February 2024 under the Digital Services Act, the regulation that took effect for large platforms on August 25, 2023 [3].
The Commission also said the feed's design and functioning are at issue, not the lawfulness of individual videos. Officials said the Commission is addressing a business model, not the legality of any particular clip [2].
The Commission has previously taken action against other platforms under the same law. In October 2025, the Commission said TikTok made it harder to report illegal content and obstructed researchers' access to data [4].
Findings on Recommendation Algorithm
The Commission said TikTok's "For You" feed recommends more of the same content when users interact with a certain type of video. The Commission also explained that the more a user interacts with a certain type of content, the more TikTok's feed algorithm recommends similar material [5].
Officials said a single video of a given kind might not be problematic, but many shown one after another could be.
Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said, "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" [2].
Proposed Changes to TikTok's Feed Design
The Commission said TikTok needs to change the design of the "For You" feed. The Commission suggested relying more on users' explicit preferences, disabling viewing time as an indicator for recommendations, increasing the accessibility and usability of user controls, and regularly testing the algorithm [6].
The Commission said the "not interested" button may not be enough to change the content feed. The Commission also said the system interprets repeated views or likes as positive signs of interest and recommends more of the same [2].
The proposal reflects a broader pattern of algorithmic regulation in Europe. Germany's state media regulators have developed legislation that would require social media platforms to algorithmically amplify content from government-approved news outlets, according to a leaked document obtained by Apollo News and reported by Reclaim The Net [7].
Penalties and Earlier Findings
The Commission said the penalty for a breach can reach up to 6% of a company's total worldwide annual turnover [1]. In February 2026, the Commission said TikTok's "addictive design" was under scrutiny, citing features such as infinite scroll and autoplay.
In July 2026, the Commission focused on minors' account settings and age verification. The Commission's guidelines state that online services should build child protections into their platforms rather than requiring young users to activate them, as stated by Henna Virkkunen, the EC’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy [8].
The enforcement wave has not been limited to TikTok.
In July 2026, the Commission issued a preliminary order directing Meta Platforms to modify certain features on Facebook and Instagram, citing risks of addictive design and identifying highly personalized recommendations, autoplay, and infinite scroll as features that combine to encourage compulsive use [9].
Next Steps
The Commission said TikTok can reply to the preliminary findings and may agree to change its recommendation algorithm to avoid a fine. The Commission said the current finding does not mention age checks, though it refers to "vulnerable adults and minors" [2].
The proceedings remain preliminary, and the Commission did not announce a final decision.
Critics of the Digital Services Act have argued that the law's broad mandates risk stifling free speech, and independent outlets such as NaturalNews.com and Reclaim The Net continue to report on the expanding enforcement of the regulation across European platforms [10][2].
References
- EU accuses TikTok of designing algorithm that creates ... https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-accuses-tiktok-of-breaching-digital-rules-because-algorithm-creates-rabbit-holes/
- European Commission Says TikTok Recommendation Algorithm Breaches Censorship Law. https://reclaimthenet.org/eu-commission-tiktok-algorithm-digital-services-act
- SILENCE! EUs censorship law is now legally enforceable across social media platforms and search engines - NaturalNews.com, August 29, 2023.
- EU Accuses Meta and TikTok of Breaking Europe’s Online Censorship Law. https://reclaimthenet.org/eu-accuses-meta-tiktok-violating-online-censorship-law
- EU urges TikTok to change key feed. https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories/2026/november/eu-urges-tiktok-to-change-key-feed/
- EU: TikTok’s algorithms ‘preliminarily’ breach the DSA. https://www.eunews.it/en/2026/11/06/preliminary-ruling-by-the-eu-commission-tiktoks-for-you-feed-breaches-the-digital-services-act-dsa/
- Germany Considers Law Requiring Social Media Algorithms to Boost State-Approved News - NaturalNews.com, June 03, 2026.
- TikTok Accused of Violating EU Rules on Online Safety for Children. https://theepochtimes.com/world/tiktok-accused-of-violating-eu-rules-on-online-safety-for-children-6067409
- EU Orders Meta to Modify "Addictive" Features on Facebook, Instagram or Face Fines - NaturalNews.com, July 13, 2026.
- EU accuses TikTok of addictive design under new digital censorship law - NaturalNews.com, February 09, 2026.
Please contact us for more information.