EU charges TikTok over harmful For You algorithm rabbit holes
Briefing by News4U · First published
The European Commission on Friday issued a preliminary finding that TikTok breached the Digital Services Act by failing to protect users’ mental health, saying its For You recommendation algorithm creates a harmful “rabbit hole effect” through endless, repeated exposure to themes such as body image, sadness and isolation. The Chinese-owned platform has about 189 million users in the EU. Commission tech lead Henna Virkkunen said users are led down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape and that TikTok must better protect wellbeing, including for minors. TikTok rejected the findings as “fundamentally inaccurate.” The Verge reported TikTok must change its For You design or face fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover. [1] [2]
Sources
- EU charges TikTok with failing to protect users’ mental health
The Guardian · · Full text
- TikTok’s For You page needs to change, says the EU
The Verge · · Full text