TikTok: EU Commission issues preliminary findings on video recommendations
The Commission says measures against repeated recommendations are inadequate. TikTok disputes the findings.
On 6 November the European Commission issued preliminary findings on TikTok’s For You recommendation feed under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission believes TikTok did not adequately assess the risk of users becoming stuck in a stream of similar content and that its measures did not reduce the risk effectively enough.
Why watch time matters
The Commission says the system can read repeated viewing of videos about body image or weight loss as a sign of interest and recommend more of the same. It preliminarily considers that repeated exposure may harm minors and vulnerable adults in particular. Even the Not interested button may have limited effect, the Commission says, because the algorithm gives more weight to viewing time.
Suggested changes include giving more weight to explicit preferences, stopping the use of watch time as a recommendation signal, making controls easier to use, and testing the algorithm regularly. TikTok disputes the findings and says the Commission inaccurately describes how its service and user controls work, Reuters reported.
What happens next
TikTok can examine the investigation file and reply in writing. The European Board for Digital Services will also be consulted. A fine of up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover is possible only if the Commission reaches a final non-compliance decision. No fine was imposed in the 6 November announcement.
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