EU says TikTok in breach of law due to ‘addictive’ features, infinite scroll

MANILA, Philippines, February 15 ------ The EU’s European Commission has announced that it found TikTok to be “in breach of the Digital Services Act for its addictive design.” These features include the infinite scroll, auto play, push notifications, and the “highly personalized recommender system” powered by the app’s algorithm.

The EU’s findings, released on February 6, coincide with the landmark US trial that alleges that social media apps, specifically Facebook, Instagram, Snap, YouTube, and TikTok, caused harm to young people due to similarly described “addictive” design features.

The EU said that TikTok “did not adequately assess” how the features could harm well-being, not just for minors but also “vulnerable adults.” The EU finding differentiates itself from the US trial as the latter focuses on minors, while the former also includes potential harm for certain adult populations. “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 behavior and reduce users’ self-control,” the Commission said.

The platform is also said to have disregarded metrics that could have indicated harmful compulsive behavior, such as time spent by minors at night, and the frequency at which a user opens the app, potentially leading to an inability of the user to control themselves.

Mitigation measures promoted by the app were also deemed ineffective. “For example, the current measures on TikTok, particularly the screentime management tools and parental control tools, do not seem to effectively reduce the risks stemming from TikTok’s addictive design.

Source: rappler.com