EU accuses TikTok of 'addictive design,' seeks changes to protect users

EU accuses TikTok of harmful design features, demanding changes to protect users' mental health and prevent addiction.

The European Union accused TikTok on Friday (February 6, 2026) of breaching the bloc's digital rules with “addictive design” features, including autoplay and infinite scroll, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video-sharing app's operating model.

EU regulators said their investigation found that TikTok hasn't done enough to assess how its features could harm the physical and mental health of users, including children and “vulnerable adults.”

The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the “basic design” of its service. The commission is the EU's executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc's Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines.

TikTok denied the accusations.

“The Commission's 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,” the company said in a statement.

TikTok now has a chance to reply to the commission's findings, which could lead to a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company's total annual revenue.