EU Finds TikTok's 'For You' Feed in Breach of DSA
The Facts
- Preliminary findings from the European Commission on Friday found TikTok's "For You" feed in breach of the Digital Services Act 2022, with its recommender system alleged to create a "rabbit-hole effect."
- Regulators found that TikTok's algorithm used information about user engagement to personalize content. Citing users who engage with weight-loss or body-image videos, the findings claim repeated recommended exposure to such content "may have serious negative effects on users' wellbeing."
- The Commission also determined that TikTok's existing safeguards fall short, finding that diversification tools and the "not interested" button do not meaningfully change feeds. One EU official said with only 0.2% of users making use of the tool, it was an "inadequate solution."
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The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Feeding more sadness and body-image content to someone already struggling is a harmful design choice that must not be tolerated. Platforms that profit from endless scrolling have a responsibility to provide users with meaningful, effective controls that actually work. Holding the biggest social media companies accountable for harm baked into the ranking system is a simple choice to protect Europeans from digital danger.
Government-critical narrative
Protecting grown adults from videos chosen freely treats Europeans like patients rather than citizens. Vague labels like "harmful" and "wellbeing" can stretch to cover almost any content officials dislike, which makes mental health a handy hook for policing perfectly lawful speech. Ordering a company to ignore what viewers actually watch is paternalism wearing a regulatory badge.
