The European Commission is calling on TikTok to thoroughly review its recommendation system, in particular the “For You” feed. In his preliminary conclusionsThe UE estimates that the “for all” stream can make users sick, especially miners and vulnerable people, in repeated sequences of videos that can harm their mental health. The platform risks a fine of up to 6% of its annual global turnover.
TikTok’s “For You” stream accused of blocking users
The problem identified by the European Commission concerns the operation of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. Every time we watch or point to the video, the system collects signals in the user’s centers of interest and proposes similar content. This personalization can lead to repeated exposure to videos dedicated to sadness, isolation, diet, or corporate image.
The EU speaks of a “content spiral” effect. A video recorded in isolation may be perfectly legal and present no particular danger. It is their accumulation and repetition that poses a problem. According to European interlocutors, this prolonged exposure can reinforce anxiety, sadness and certain eating behavior problems with particular risks for minors and vulnerable adults.
The measures already proposed by TikTok do not convince the European Commission. The “I’m not interested” button, which should allow you to exclude certain content, would not work well enough. Pollsters do not notice the example of a user who indicates that he does not want to watch diet videos, but continues to receive recommendations from the diets and the corporate image. Additionally, updating your “For You” feed would only allow a temporary interruption of this replay.
Given the situation, Europe requests several changes in the operation of the “For you” flow. Souhaite noteamment that TikTok accords high importance to preferences expressed directly by users, reducing the role of viewing time in its recommendations and rendering its control tools more accessible. The EU also calls for regular testing of the algorithm to check the effectiveness of protective measures.
TikTok strongly disputes these findings. A spokesperson reported statements “fundamentally inaccurate” which would distort the operation of the platform and its commitment to security. The company claims to have developed control tools to filter unwanted content. This also indicates that more than 79 million European users are using the keyword filtering functions or the “Pas interessé” button during the first half of 2026.
TikTok risks a fine of up to 6% of its income
This new offensive is registered in the European survey open in February 2024 in the title of the digital services regulation (DSA). In February, the Commission has already prepared preliminary conclusions on the potentially addictive features of TikTok’s additional functions, without infinitely occurring machine reading and notifications. The new accusations this time point directly to the logic of video recommendation.
TikTok can now consult the elements of the investigation and present its defense before any final decision. If the Commission confirms the infringement, it could impose corrective measures and a financial penalty that could reach 6% of the global annual turnover of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company. No fine has been imposed at this time.
