The European Commission said on November 6 that TikTok’s recommendation system likely breaches the Digital Services Act by pulling users into harmful content “rabbit holes.” The Commission wants the For You feed redesigned and TikTok’s parent ByteDance could face a fine of up to 6 percent of its global revenue, Engadget reported.
What the Commission found
The Commission’s preliminary findings say TikTok’s personalized algorithm shows users progressively more of a similar kind of content the more they engage with it, a pattern that can pull them into harmful rabbit holes. It found TikTok did not adequately assess that risk and did not put sufficient safeguards in place to limit it.
Regulators cited content around sadness, isolation and body image as examples of the kind of material the algorithm can repeatedly surface. They said the risk is greatest for minors and other vulnerable users, and that TikTok’s “not interested” button may not do enough to change what a user’s feed shows them afterward.
The Commission’s concern centers on the For You page specifically, the default feed most TikTok users see first, rather than on any single piece of content. Its findings describe the algorithm as treating repeated engagement with a type of video as a signal to show more of the same, with no structural check in place to interrupt that loop before it becomes harmful.
What TikTok is being told to change
The Commission wants TikTok to redesign its For You page to lean more on what users explicitly say they want to see, rather than on how long they linger on a given type of video. It also wants more accessible and usable controls for users, along with regular testing of the recommendation system itself.
How TikTok has responded
TikTok rejected the findings. The company told Reuters that the Commission’s statements are “fundamentally inaccurate” and distort how its platform actually works, and said it already gives users direct control over their content feed.
The penalty, and what happens next
These findings are preliminary, not a final ruling. The Commission has stressed in its earlier TikTok proceedings that preliminary findings do not prejudge the investigation’s outcome. TikTok can examine the Commission’s case file and respond in writing before any final decision is made.
If the Commission ultimately confirms the findings and TikTok does not resolve the matter to its satisfaction, ByteDance could face a fine of up to 6 percent of its annual global revenue under the Digital Services Act, the EU’s core law governing how large online platforms moderate content and design their recommendation systems. The Commission enforces the DSA across all 27 EU member states.
This is not the Commission’s first action against TikTok’s design choices. In February 2026, it found that TikTok’s broader “addictive design”, including infinite scroll and autoplay, likely breached the DSA. In July, officials separately found TikTok had failed to adequately protect the privacy of minors’ accounts. The underlying EU investigation into TikTok opened in early 2024.
| Date | Finding | Core issue |
|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | Preliminary, addictive design | Infinite scroll and autoplay features |
| July 2026 | Preliminary, minors’ privacy | Minors’ accounts not adequately protected |
| November 2026 | Preliminary, recommendation system | “Rabbit hole” effect of the For You feed |
Part of a wider regulatory push on social platforms
The TikTok findings land in the same week Google, Meta and TikTok each sued to block California’s AB 1709, a state law banning addictive social media design features for users under 16. That US lawsuit and the EU’s DSA findings are separate legal tracks, but both turn on the same underlying question regulators on both sides of the Atlantic are now asking: whether recommendation algorithms built to maximize engagement cross into causing harm, particularly for younger users.
Frequently asked questions
Has TikTok been fined over this finding?
No. The Commission’s findings are preliminary. A fine of up to 6 percent of ByteDance’s global annual revenue is only possible if the Commission confirms the findings and TikTok fails to resolve the issue.
What does the EU want TikTok to change?
The Commission wants TikTok to redesign its For You recommendation feed to rely more on users’ stated preferences rather than viewing time, make user controls more usable, and regularly test the algorithm for these risks.
Is this related to earlier EU action against TikTok?
Yes. It follows a February 2026 preliminary finding on TikTok’s “addictive design” and a July 2026 finding on minors’ account privacy, both part of the DSA investigation the Commission opened in 2024.
Can TikTok appeal or contest the findings?
Yes. Under the Commission’s standard DSA process, TikTok can examine the case file and submit a written response before the Commission reaches any final, binding decision.
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