The European Union on Friday, November 6 ordered the social network TikTok to radically modify its personalized video feeds.
The feeds available in the “For You” section endlessly offer content likely to absorb attention, including when they have harmful effects.
The European Commission deplores that a user who reports that a type of content no longer interests them may see their choice circumvented, in order to maximize time spent on the application.
This also concerns videos about sadness, loneliness or self-esteem, which may affect physical and mental well-being from being watched repeatedly.
At issue is the functioning of the recommendation algorithm, which Brussels suspects of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA).
It is calling for a series of deep reforms that strike at the heart of the business model based on maximum capture of attention.
TikTok has already modified its personalized feeds, but the European executive considers that these changes are not sufficient.
This text requires large platforms to assess and mitigate the risks incurred by their users.
Brussels accuses these mechanisms of harming users’ well-being by exposing them to spirals of content with very negative effects, according to its statement. Getting trapped in uninterrupted viewing — a phenomenon nicknamed “rabbit holes” — can harm mental health, it warns, especially among minors and vulnerable adults.