European regulators said Friday that TikTok’s “For You” feed appears to break the European Union’s online safety law by pulling users into “rabbit holes” of videos about sadness, self-harm and body image. TikTok strongly disputes the finding.
The European Commission announced the preliminary findings on Nov. 6 under the Digital Services Act, or DSA, a law that requires very large online platforms to identify and reduce risks to their users. The findings are not final. If they are confirmed, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its worldwide annual revenue.
What the EU says is wrong
The Commission said TikTok’s feed shows users a continuous stream of personalized videos, and that the more someone engages with one kind of content, the more of it the app recommends. Repeated exposure to videos about sadness, isolation or body image can harm mental health, especially for minors and vulnerable adults, the Commission said.
According to The Record, the Commission found that TikTok had flagged some of these risks in its own assessments but did not properly analyze them or put strong enough safeguards in place. Officials said TikTok’s tools for mixing up the feed do not work well, that refreshing the feed helps only briefly, and that tapping “not interested” stops working after a while.
Officials pointed to trends such as “what I eat in a day” and “SkinnyTok.” The Record reported that the videos themselves were legal and within TikTok’s rules, but officials said the sheer repetition made them harmful. The Commission wants recommendations to be based more on what users say they want and less on hidden signals like how long they watch a video.
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said that each time a user scrolls or likes a video, “the algorithm serves more of the same,” according to RTÉ.
The Record reported that the Commission spent two and a half years building its investigative tools, obtained internal TikTok documents and data, and reviewed about 20,000 videos with help from psychologists, psychiatrists and system design experts. Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, supported the investigation, RTÉ reported. TikTok’s European headquarters is in Dublin.
TikTok pushes back
TikTok rejected the conclusions. A spokesperson said the Commission’s statements are “fundamentally inaccurate” and distort the platform’s design and its commitment to user safety, according to RTÉ and The Record. The company said it has a strong record of protecting its community and gives users direct control over what they see.
Part of a bigger fight over feeds
This is the third preliminary finding against TikTok in the same EU investigation this year. In February, the Commission found problems with what it called addictive design features, and in July it raised concerns about protections for minors’ accounts.
The Record reported that the Commission called the case a “scene setter” for its proposed KIDS Act, introduced in September, which would stop platforms from relying only on engagement signals to recommend content to children. Officials also said they are looking beyond TikTok at other platforms, without naming any.
Similar debates are playing out in the United States. Tech companies including TikTok are suing to block a California law on teen feeds and autoplay, and Apple recently said it will check public iCloud links for harmful content. The EU decision applies to TikTok’s service in Europe, not the U.S. app.
What happens next
TikTok can now review the Commission’s files and respond in writing before any final decision. If the Commission confirms its view, it can issue a non-compliance decision, order changes to the feed and impose a fine. No deadline for a final ruling has been announced. Upstormed News will follow the case.
Why it matters for families
Many kids and teens spend hours on short-video apps, and the way feeds learn from every swipe can quickly narrow what they see. Parents may want to check a child’s app settings together, use built-in screen-time limits, and talk openly about what shows up in their feed. Resetting or refreshing a feed and using “not interested” can help, though regulators say those tools have limits. If a child seems withdrawn, anxious or focused on body image, talk with your doctor or a mental health professional.
Read more: Google, Meta and TikTok sue to block California law on teen feeds and autoplay
What do you think: Should apps be required to change how their feeds recommend videos to young people? Tell us in the comments.
Sources: European Commission, “Commission preliminarily finds TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed in breach of Digital Services Act for harmful ‘rabbit holes’ effect” (November 6, 2026); The Record, “EU accuses TikTok of violating DSA over ‘rabbit hole’ feeds” (November 6, 2026); RTÉ News, “‘Rabbit hole’ TikTok feeds violate digital rules, says EU” (November 6, 2026)
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