Shaking without being able to stop it is not just a widespread sensation, but a behavior that has attracted the attention of European institutions. There European Commission has in fact notified to TikTok the preliminary conclusions of an investigation launched in February 2024contesting a possible violation of the Digital Services Act. At the heart of the proceedings is the idea that the platform design favors a form of behavioral addictionespecially among the younger ones.
The investigation and the scope of the Digital Services Act
The investigation concerns the way in which TikTok, a platform owned by the Chinese ByteDance, designs and structures the user experience. According to Brussels, the large digital platforms must evaluate and mitigate so-called systemic risksincluding those related to physical and mental well-being of users. In the case of TikTok, the European executive considers that this evaluation has not been conducted adequately, in particular regarding the minors.
The features ended up under the EU lens
Some key features of the app ended up in the Commission’s sights: infinite scrolling, automatic video playback, push notifications and a highly personalized recommendation algorithm. According to European technicians, these elements would work together to keep the user in one continuous use modereducing the perception of time spent on the app and encouraging prolonged use.
The reward mechanism and “autopilot”
One of the central points of the accusations concerns the so-called constant reward mechanism. The Commission claims that the continuous proposal of new content puts the brain in a sort of autopilotmaking it more difficult to stop the activity. In this context, Brussels accuses TikTok of not having taken it into consideration relevant indicators of compulsive usesuch as the time minors spent on the app during night hours.
Ineffective prevention tools
The survey also evaluates the effectiveness of the tools introduced by TikTok to limit excessive use. Functions like screentimewhich allows you to set a daily limit, are judged not very incisive because they are easily circumvented and characterized by limited friction. Also the parental controls : according to Brussels, it would require parents’ skills and time to make it ineffective in protecting young people.
The possible economic consequences
At the moment it is about preliminary conclusions. TikTok will be able to submit its observations and the European Digital Services Board will be consulted in parallel. If the complaints were to be confirmed, ByteDance would risk one fine of up to 6% of global annual turnover. Considering that the group’s revenues would have amounted to 155 billion euros in 2024, the fine could reach approximately 7.9 billion.
ByteDance’s reply
The company’s response was not long in coming. In an official note, ByteDance firmly rejected the accusations:
The Commission’s preliminary investigations describe our platform in a completely false and baseless manner and we will take all necessary steps to counter these allegations with every means at our disposal.
The confrontation between Brussels and TikTok is therefore destined to continue, with an outcome that could have significant effects on the entire advertising sector digital platforms.
