The European Commission has accused TikTok of failing to protect users' mental health by exposing them to a constant stream of content that risks exacerbating eating disorders and anxiety. The issue directly affects the platform's business model.
In a preliminary ruling published on Friday, the EU regulator said TikTok's algorithm "may be harmful" and was leading young and vulnerable users "into a maze of content from which they cannot easily escape."
The Chinese short-video platform, which has 189 million users in the EU, was found to have failed to prevent the appearance of repetitive content on topics such as body image and isolation. This content can cause anxiety and sadness, as well as exacerbate existing eating disorders or mental health problems.
Officials said the investigation focused on legal content, where a single video may not pose a problem, but the cumulative effect of watching dozens of videos on the same topic can harm users' mental health.
TikTok's safeguards to mitigate the risks of the so-called "maze effect," where users are shown limited and repetitive content to keep them engaged for as long as possible, were deemed ineffective.
