EU says TikTok's For You feed harms mental health and could bring fine up to 6% of turnover

What the Commission found

On Friday, 6 November 2026, the European Commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok breaches the Digital Services Act (DSA) through the recommendation system behind its For You feed. The Commission says the algorithm reads watch time and likes as interest, then serves more of the same, and in the videos it examined that means content about sadness, isolation, weight and body image. Regulators warn that this loop, which they call the rabbit hole effect, can deepen anxiety, lower self-esteem and worsen eating disorders, with minors and vulnerable adults most at risk. According to the preliminary view, TikTok did not properly assess the systemic risks of its algorithm, and the safeguards it has introduced are not effective. The Commission describes this as the third time it has confronted TikTok with findings under the DSA.

Why existing safeguards fall short

The Commission says the 'Not interested' button does not change the feed enough, because the algorithm still gives watch time more weight than choices a user expresses. Commission sources add that only 0.2% of users choose the non-personalised feed option. The Commission also finds that the mechanisms meant to widen the variety of recommended videos are insufficient. To comply, TikTok should stop using watch time as a recommendation signal, rely more on explicit preferences and offer more accessible control tools. Brussels wants users to be able to steer what they see, without the algorithm overriding a clear signal that they do not want certain content.

How the case was built

Commission officials examined more than 20,000 videos and consulted external experts in psychiatry and psychology, according to a Commission source. The Commission has also been in contact with Irish authorities, since the European subsidiary of ByteDance is based in Ireland. Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen said that each scroll or like gives users more of the same content, pulling them into burrows they cannot easily leave. She added that the DSA makes platforms responsible for such harms.

Background and timeline

The Commission opened its first DSA proceedings against TikTok in February 2024, and no fine has followed since. In February 2026 it issued a separate alert about the app's addictive design, including autoplay, notifications and infinite scroll, which it said could harm minors and other vulnerable groups. Both probes have reached preliminary conclusions that TikTok fails the DSA, although the Commission treats them as separate investigations. The key dates are marked below.

Penalties and next steps

If the findings are confirmed, the Commission can impose a fine of up to 6% of TikTok's annual worldwide turnover. TikTok now has the right to respond to the preliminary findings before any decision is taken. The Commission has not yet imposed a fine on the platform under this procedure. The outcome will depend on TikTok's reply and any further assessment by the Commission. Brussels is asking for changes to the For You feed that reach the core of a business model built on holding user attention.