Feb 6, 2026, 12:33 p.mFeb 6, 2026, 12:33 p.m
According to the preliminary results of an EU investigation, the online platform Tiktok violates European law. The EU Commission announced this on Friday in Brussels.
There are proceedings underway against Tiktok.Image: keystone
Specifically, this involves addiction-promoting mechanisms – for example, highly personalized recommendations and the uninterrupted automatic playing of videos. The authority announced that it would continue to push forward the proceedings that had already been initiated against Tiktok.
“Addiction to social media can have harmful effects on the developing brains of children and young people,” criticized the responsible vice president, Henna Virkkunen. It’s about enforcing European rules to protect citizens online.
A Tiktok spokeswoman said: “The commission’s preliminary findings categorically misrepresent our platform and are completely baseless. We will take all necessary steps to challenge these findings using all means at our disposal.”
The Brussels authority is currently investigating various large online platforms. This is causing great annoyance among large tech companies, but also the US government.
The process could be expensive for Tiktok
Tiktok now has the opportunity to defend itself against the allegations and could theoretically also make changes to its functions to address the EU’s concerns.
If no amicable solution is found, it could be expensive for Tiktok. The EU Commission could then formally determine a violation of the so-called Digital Services Act (DSA) and impose a penalty. This could amount to up to six percent of annual group sales.
That should change at Tiktok
For example, the preliminary investigation calls for adjustments such as the introduction of effective “screen time breaks” and changes to content recommendations for users. In addition, “Infinite Scrolling” should be deactivated. This means that when scrolling in a service, new content is constantly loaded without the user being forced to take breaks.
The EU Commission states that the design of Tiktok constantly “rewards” users with new content and thereby promotes the urge to continue scrolling. This puts the brain in “autopilot mode”. “Scientific research shows that this can lead to compulsive behavior and impair users’ self-control.”
The preliminary assessment is part of a larger investigation into the online platform Tiktok. Since February 2024, the commission has been examining, among other things, whether the online giant protects young people enough. Tiktok is owned by the Chinese parent company ByteDance. The US business was handed over to a new company with American investors.
Some critics also accuse Tiktok that the algorithm favors certain political movements such as the AfD in Germany or suppresses critical issues such as human rights in China. The short video app claims to have more than 135 million active monthly users.
Proceedings against US companies outrage the US government
Proceedings by the EU Commission are also underway against the US companies X and Meta. When the EU imposed a fine of 120 million euros on Elon Musk’s Platform
The violent reaction could also be understood as a threat to Brussels not to take any further measures against the US tech giants. To justify the entry bans on X, Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio wrote that American platforms were being targeted. They are prepared to expand the list if there is no course correction. (hkl/sda/awp/dpa)