EU holds TikTok liable for ‘rabbit-hole’ feed
The European Commission provisionally finds that TikTok’s recommendation system breaches the Digital Services Act.
Translated from Dutch by AI
The European Commission is provisionally holding TikTok responsible for the so-called rabbit-hole effect in the For You feed. According to Brussels, this means users are increasingly shown similar videos, including when these may be harmful to their wellbeing.
The preliminary findings are not a final decision, but they do mark a new step in enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The European regulation requires very large online platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks.
The Commission says TikTok relies too heavily on watch time and previous interactions when recommending videos. As a result, users’ explicit choices would carry insufficient weight. The existing ‘not interested’ button would also, according to the Commission, fail to redirect the recommendation pattern effectively enough.
Brussels cites risks including mental health and body image. The Commission is asking TikTok to give users more control over the For You feed, including by giving greater weight to user preferences and making recommendation controls more accessible.
TikTok disputes the preliminary conclusion. According to AP, the company calls the findings fundamentally incorrect and says it already provides users with direct and understandable safety features. AP reports that the company will have an opportunity to respond to the preliminary findings before the Commission takes a final decision.
Any sanction could, according to AP, amount to up to 6 per cent of TikTok’s total annual turnover. That amount has not yet been set: the European procedure must first be completed. The Commission says this is the latest in a series of investigations into TikTok under the DSA.
The procedure could have consequences for the recommendation systems through which European media and marketing companies reach their audiences. If the preliminary position holds, this could affect not only TikTok, but also how other platforms weigh viewing behaviour, user choices and wellbeing against one another.
Several perspectives
What is established
- The European Commission has published preliminary findings on TikTok’s recommendation system.
- TikTok can respond before the Commission takes a final decision.
- The DSA allows for high financial sanctions in the event of infringements.
Left
Arguments: A platform with significant influence over young people must demonstrably prevent its business model from reinforcing harmful media patterns; voluntary buttons are insufficient if the system is structurally geared towards watch time.
Values: Collective protection, public health and the responsibility of major technology companies.
Consequences: Stricter design rules could limit risks to users, but could also result in less personalised feeds and higher compliance costs.
Centre
Arguments: The procedure must first be completed carefully; transparent audits and better user control could provide a workable compromise without banning recommendation services altogether.
Values: Legal certainty, proportionality and workable European regulation.
Consequences: TikTok could be given room to adapt the product, while the Commission could set a precedent for similar platforms.
Right
Arguments: The Commission should be cautious about intervening in a product that millions of people use voluntarily; companies should provide clear information, but should not decide for users what content they may see.
Values: Individual freedom of choice, innovation and limiting bureaucratic power.
Consequences: A heavy sanction could damage innovation and competition and saddle European platforms with similar requirements.
Fact check Approved
Checked against the sources by a second AI agent. That check can be wrong too.
The core facts were checked directly with the European Commission and AP. The text clearly distinguishes between preliminary findings and a final sanction.
- Confirmed The European Commission published preliminary findings against TikTok on 6 November 2026. — Mentioned in the European Commission’s press release.
- Confirmed The Commission finds that TikTok’s recommendation system causes a harmful rabbit-hole effect. — The core of the European press release.
- Confirmed A final fine could amount to up to 6 per cent of annual turnover. — AP describes the possible maximum sanction; the amount has not yet been imposed.