EU Orders TikTok to Overhaul Addictive Features or Face Heavy Fines

Fri Feb 06 2026 22:13:17 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The European Commission has given TikTok an ultimatum to revise its design features deemed 'addictive' or potentially incur massive penalties after a recent safety investigation.

In a decisive move, the EU's recent investigation into TikTok has led to findings that the platform's design compromises user wellbeing, particularly among children. The Commission has mandated changes to avoid penalties that could reach 6% of TikTok's global annual revenue. TikTok has criticized the findings as misleading and plans to challenge them. This represents a broader shift in regulatory scrutiny towards tech platforms to prioritize user safety over engagement.

TikTok Told to Change 'Addictive Design' by EU or Face Massive Fines

The EU has told TikTok it must change its addictive design or face heavy fines, after it found the video sharing platform had breached its online safety rules.

This ultimatum follows an investigation that began in February 2024 into the Chinese-owned app by the European Commission.

In its preliminary findings, the Commission reported that TikTok did not adequately assess how features like autoplay could harm users, especially children, and failed to implement necessary risk mitigation measures.

A TikTok spokesperson characterized the findings as a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform and confirmed plans to challenge them.

The platform has been given the opportunity to respond to the EU's findings. Depending on the results of this interaction, the Commission could impose fines that total up to 6% of TikTok's global annual turnover, which is estimated in the tens of billions.

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen stated that to avoid penalties, TikTok will need to change the design of their service in Europe.

The Commission provided several recommendations, including implementing screen time breaks for users engaging with the app at night and modifying algorithms that personalize content delivery. Furthermore, suggestions were made to disable features like infinite scroll that encourage endless video consumption.

Virkkunen emphasized, The Digital Services Act makes platforms responsible for the effects they can have on their users. In Europe, we enforce our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online. Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics indicated that while TikTok had taken some steps towards user safety, it remained insufficient under EU guidelines.

Livingstone added that young users are calling for these changes, feeling that the platform prioritizes profit over user wellbeing.

Social media analyst Matt Navara noted the significance of the EU's findings, highlighting a shift in regulatory perspectives towards social media where design elements are now under scrutiny, not just toxic content.

This could represent the first time that major regulators have identified design flaws as a critical issue, removing the debate from merely harmful content to encompass harmful design.

'Warning Shot'

This isn't the first time the EU has scrutinized the operations of big tech firms or threatened them with fines. In December 2024, a separate investigation was launched into TikTok regarding alleged foreign interference in the Romanian presidential elections.

There has also been a recent inquiry into Elon Musk's X for concerns about its AI tool Grok creating inappropriate images.

In December 2025, the EU fined X €120m for misleading use of its blue tick badges, aiming to foster transparency in account verification.

Analysts view this latest move as a significant wake-up call for TikTok and other social media platforms alike, indicating a shift from focusing solely on user engagement to engineering responsibility and accountability.