TikTok's endless scroll is under threat in Europe

"Time could be up for TikTok's metronomic For You feed, which pushes videos to users with clock-like accuracy. The endless scroll that defines the TikTok experience has been flagged as part of a broader set of features that make the app addictive by design, according to the European Commission. The regulator has issued a preliminary decision under the Digital Services Act, a sweeping piece of tech regulation, arguing that TikTok has not done enough to mitigate the risk of user addiction tied to those features."

"European regulators have asked TikTok to tweak the offending system, along with others, to make the app less addictive or face fines of up to 6% of parent company ByteDance's total annual turnover, reportedly forecast at $186 billion in 2025. Under the terms of the Digital Services Act, TikTok has the right to respond to the European Commission's preliminary decision and to contest it."

"If TikTok does push back and the two sides remain at odds, the result could be a prolonged standoff. "I am fearing that this will become a game of cat and mouse, but we will see I am interested and watching and grabbing the popcorn," says Carolina Are, a social media researcher at the London School of Economics. Still, some observers believe there is a real chance TikTok ultimately bends to the EU's demands."

The European Commission issued a preliminary decision under the Digital Services Act finding TikTok's recommendation systems and endless-scroll features pose addiction risks and that mitigation is inadequate. Regulators ordered TikTok to modify the identified systems or face fines up to 6% of ByteDance's annual turnover, reportedly forecast at $186 billion in 2025. TikTok retains the right to respond and contest the decision and has signaled it will challenge the findings. Observers warn of a possible prolonged standoff, while others see the move as a test of EU enforcement aimed at forcing design changes to reduce addictiveness, especially for children.

Read at Fast Company