EU says TikTok faces large fine over "addictive design"

The European Commission preliminarily found that TikTok’s core design features (infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and personalized recommendations) likely foster compulsive use and may breach the EU Digital Services Act, especially harming minors and vulnerable users; if confirmed, this could trigger fines up to 6% of TikTok’s global annual turnover and require design changes such as screen-time breaks and disabling addictive features. The report also notes related enforcement actions, including major fines from the Irish Data Protection Commission for illegal transfers of EEA user data to China and a French criminal investigation into child mental health safeguards.