European Commission issues preliminary findings against TikTok algorithm; company rejects them

As reported by The Guardian, Al Jazeera and The Guardian (Health). The allegations below are theirs, not Vocemundi's.

The European Commission on Friday issued preliminary findings against TikTok over the effects of its recommendation algorithm, including what it described as a "rabbit hole" effect. The case falls under the EU's Digital Services Act.

The findings cite repeated exposure to content on themes including body image and isolation. The Commission concluded that TikTok's existing measures to mitigate the risks it identified were inadequate. Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen said TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users' wellbeing, including that of minors.

TikTok, which is Chinese-owned, rejected the findings as "fundamentally inaccurate". It can respond before the Commission reaches a final decision, and it could face a fine if the case proceeds against it. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include a deadline for its response or a timetable for a decision.

According to The Guardian, the findings are part of a broader investigation launched in February 2024, and TikTok has 189 million users in the EU. The Guardian also reported that TikTok could agree to change its recommender system to avoid a fine.

The Commission had previously issued findings against TikTok over addictive design features. A senior EU official told AFP that those February findings focused on features such as notifications, while Friday's action targeted the algorithm itself, according to Al Jazeera.

What is disputed

The reports differ on the status of Friday's action. Al Jazeera says the EU "ordered" TikTok to change the algorithm behind its For You feed, while also calling the findings preliminary. The Guardian describes a "preliminary ruling" and says EU officials "want" TikTok to change the feed's design.

They also differ on the 6% figure. The Guardian says TikTok could be fined up to 6% of its global worldwide turnover. Al Jazeera says fines "could increase by up to 6 percent", according to regulators.

What each side says

"Every time a user scrolls or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more of the same, leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from," Al Jazeera quoted Virkkunen as saying. According to The Guardian, Commission officials said the investigation focused on legal content and the cumulative effect of watching many videos on one theme.

The Guardian quoted a TikTok spokesperson as saying: "The commission has made a series of statements that are fundamentally inaccurate and distort our platform’s architecture and our commitment to user safety." According to The Guardian, TikTok says more than 79 million EU users used its "not interested" or keyword filters in the first six months of 2026. The reports do not include independent verification of that figure.

The Molly Rose Foundation urged UK regulator Ofcom to investigate TikTok's "extremely damaging" algorithm, according to The Guardian.

Vocemundi note: this story relays allegations published by The Guardian, Al Jazeera and The Guardian (Health). Vocemundi did not have access to the underlying evidence or documents and has not independently verified these claims. The people and organisations named are presumed innocent; their response is included where it was available.

Analysis

The next stage depends largely on TikTok's response. If the company offers changes to its recommender system, the case could end without a fine, an outcome The Guardian describes as possible. If it contests the findings and the Commission upholds them, a penalty could follow. The case also raises a broader question for regulators: how to assess harm from the cumulative effect of legal content rather than from individual videos. The reports do not describe the Commission's evidence in detail, so they do not allow a judgment on the strength of the case. Neither outcome is settled.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.