European Union: European Commission issued preliminary finding in its investigation into TikTok concerning risk assessments and addictive design features under Digital Services Act

On 6 February 2026, the European Commission issued preliminary findings in its investigation into TikTok, concluding that the platform breached its obligations under the Digital Services Act with regard to the assessment and mitigation of the addictive design of its service. The Commission found that TikTok had failed to adequately assess the systemic risks arising from the design and operation of its service. These risks were associated with features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalised recommendation systems. The Commission also found that TikTok had failed to consider the potential negative effects of these features on users' physical and mental well-being, particularly among minors and vulnerable users. The Commission also found that TikTok did not sufficiently consider indicators of compulsive use, such as nighttime usage by minors and frequent app opening. Furthermore, the Commission preliminarily concluded that TikTok had not implemented reasonable, proportionate, and effective mitigation measures to address these risks, as existing screen time management and parental control tools were insufficient to reduce the risks associated with addictive behaviour. TikTok has been granted the opportunity to respond in writing to the preliminary findings and exercise its rights of defence. After this, the Commission may adopt a non-compliance decision, which could lead to fines of up to 6% of TikTok’s total worldwide annual turnover.