From Engadget · Kris Holt · · 1m 20s
EU says TikTok's algorithm traps users in harmful 'rabbit holes'
The European Commission accuses TikTok of breaching content rules by using a recommendation system that can damage mental health, especially for minors.
In brief
The European Commission accuses TikTok of breaching content rules by using a recommendation system that can damage mental health, especially for minors. The EU says TikTok's For You page algorithm breaches the Digital Services Act by creating harmful rabbit holes that damage mental health, particularly for minors…
EU accuses TikTok of breaching content rules
The European Commission says TikTok's For You page algorithm breaches the Digital Services Act because its recommendation system can harm users' mental health through endless exposure to damaging content.
How the algorithm creates harmful rabbit holes
The more a user interacts with certain content, the more similar videos they see.The Commission warns these rabbit holes involving sadness, isolation or body image can damage mental health, especially for vulnerable adults and minors.
“These 'rabbit holes' can have a detrimental impact on users' mental health, especially that of vulnerable adults and minors.”
What the EU says TikTok must change
The Commission says TikTok must redesign the For You page to rely more on users' explicit preferences, disable viewing time as a recommendation indicator, improve user controls and regularly test its algorithm.
TikTok faces potential fine if it doesn't comply
If TikTok fails to resolve the issue to the Commission's satisfaction and the EU confirms its findings, parent company ByteDance could face a fine of as much as six percent of its annual global revenue.
What to remember
The EU says TikTok's For You page algorithm breaches the Digital Services Act by creating harmful rabbit holes that damage mental health, particularly for minors.
