The Commission’s findings follow an investigation launched in February 2024 focused on design features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and its highly personalised recommender system.

On Friday, the Commission announced this investigation had preliminarily indicated that TikTok did not adequately assess how these addictive features could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of its users, including minors and vulnerable adults.

For example, by constantly ‘rewarding’ users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into ‘autopilot mode’. Scientific research shows that this may lead to compulsive behaviour and reduce users’ self-control, the EU says.

Additionally, in its assessment, TikTok allegedly disregarded important indicators of compulsive use of the app, such as the time that minors spend on TikTok at night, the frequency with which users open the app, and other potential indicators.

The Commission says TikTok must now change the basic design of its service, for example by disabling key addictive features such as ‘infinite scroll’ over time, implementing effective ‘screen time breaks’, including during the night, and adapting its recommender system.

TikTok now has the possibility to exercise its right to defence. It may examine the documents in the Commission’s investigation files and reply in writing to the Commission’s preliminary findings. In parallel, the European Board for Digital Services will be consulted.

If the Commission’s views are ultimately confirmed, the Commission may issue a non-compliance decision, which can trigger a fine proportionate to the nature, gravity, recurrence and duration of the infringement and reach up to but not more than six per cent of the total worldwide annual turnover of the provider.

Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said: “Social media addiction can have detrimental effects on the developing minds of children and teens.

“The Digital Services Act makes platforms responsible for the effects they can have on their users. In Europe, we enforce our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online.”

A spokesperson for TikTok said the preliminary findings “present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us”.