EU says TikTok should ban ‘add-ons’ like unlimited scrolling, improve its engine

The European Commission on Friday accused TikTok of deliberately making its app “disruptive,” calling out features such as unlimited scrolling, autoplay, and push notifications, as well as its production engine.

In the preliminary results of the investigation that seeks to find out that TikTok is being followed by the European Union far reaching. Digital Services ActThe commission said that short videos “have not been adequately assessed” for how their production decisions could harm the welfare of users, particularly vulnerable children and adults.

The EU’s top watchdog said the company ignored “significant indicators of forced use of the app” such as what time users spend at night and how often users open it.

“By offering ‘rewards’ to regular users with new features, some of TikTok’s features encourage the urge to move and turn users’ brains into ‘autopilot mode.’ Scientific studies show that this can create compulsions and reduce self-control in users. words.

The commission said TikTok should change the “basic design” of its interface by banning things like infinite scrolling, using screen timeouts, and changing its behavior.

TikTok has denied the claims.

“The Commission’s preliminary findings indicate false and unfounded claims about our platform, and we will do everything in our power to challenge our findings using all available means,” a TikTok spokesperson said in an email.

TikTok offers viewing controls and parental controls, but the European Commission said these tools do not do enough to reduce the dangers of its addictive designs. “Time management tools do not seem to be effective for users to limit and control the use of TikTok because they are easy to release and cause few conflicts. In the same way, parental control may not be effective because it requires more time and skill from parents to inform the controls,” the Commission wrote.

The allegations against TikTok come as the social media site comes under the spotlight around the world, with some governments pushing to ban young users from using the social media site. In November, Australia to be controlled social media sites to block the accounts of users under the age of 16, and the UK and Spain are said to be looking into the same. France, Denmark, Italy, and Norway have worked similarly age restrictions for social networks, and in the United States, 24 countries have implemented so far age verification laws.

TikTok soon stability a major social justice case in the US, and now it has time to respond to the European Commission’s findings. Violations of the DSA can be met with a number of serious penalties, including fines of up to 6% of global assets.

This article has been updated to include more TikTok feedback.