The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that TikTok did not sufficiently assess or mitigate the risks of its recommender system leading users down harmful content rabbit holes, violating key provisions of the EU's Digital Services Act.
- TikTok failed to conduct full risk assessments required by the Digital Services Act.
- Repeated recommendations of harmful content pose mental health risks, especially to minors.
- Other platforms with similar recommender systems may face increased regulatory pressure.
What happened
Last week, the European Commission released preliminary findings indicating that TikTok did not comply with key obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Specifically, the platform failed to properly evaluate and mitigate risks linked to its recommendation system, which can channel users into 'rabbit holes'—sequences of videos with potentially harmful themes like mental health struggles and body image issues.
This announcement follows earlier concerns the Commission raised in 2026 about TikTok's addictive features, such as infinite scroll and autoplay, plus risks to minors. The new findings focus on TikTok's lack of adequate risk assessment and the failure to implement proportionate mitigation measures, violating Articles 34 and 35 of the DSA.
Why it matters
The Commission's scrutiny marks an important step in regulating how online platforms use algorithmic recommendations that can progressively limit the diversity of content users see, sometimes causing harm even if individual videos comply with content policies. This issue is central to platform accountability and user well-being in the digital age.
Moreover, these findings have implications beyond TikTok, signaling that other Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) using similar personalized recommendation systems must conduct thorough risk assessments and deploy effective safeguards. The EU's upcoming Digital Fairness Act may supplement these rules by mandating clearer user controls to disable features that foster addictive consumption.
What to watch next
The European Commission will likely move from preliminary findings to enforcement actions, which may include requiring TikTok to adopt stronger measures to disrupt harmful video sequences and improve user protections, particularly for minors. Industry observers should monitor how TikTok responds and adapts its recommender systems accordingly.
Additionally, regulators and other platforms are expected to closely watch developments as the Digital Fairness Act progresses, potentially introducing new user rights to limit compulsive platform features like autoplay and infinite scroll. This evolving regulatory landscape could redefine how social media platforms balance engagement with user safety in the EU and beyond.