TechPolicyCreatorsTikTok’s For You page needs to change, says the EUThe EU Commission says TikTok’s ‘rabbit hole’ effect can pose harm to users.The EU Commission says TikTok’s ‘rabbit hole’ effect can pose harm to users.by Emma RothNov 6, 2026, 2:00 PM UTCShareGiftIllustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeEmma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.The European Commission claims TikTok broke its online platform rules by offering a recommendation algorithm that creates a “rabbit hole effect” on users. In an announcement on Friday, the regulators allege TikTok’s algorithm can harm users with “endless and repeated exposure” to content related to sadness, isolation, or body image.The findings come months after the EU Commission declared that TikTok’s design is too “addictive.” While TikTok has implemented controls to mitigate the algorithm’s “rabbit hole effect,” the Commission says its preliminary findings suggest that they’re not effective. TikTok must now change the design of its For You feed, or else face fines of up to 6 percent of its global annual turnover.
The platform is also facing pressure in the US, with lawmakers and a wave of lawsuits raising concerns about child safety.Since enacting the Digital Services Act in 2023 — a set of rules that hold tech companies legally accountable for their impact on users— the EU Commission has targeted several companies for allegedly violating the regulations, including X, Meta, Temu, and AliExpress. As reported by Politico, this is the first time the Commission has cited a recommendation algorithm as the reason for a breach.“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,” Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission’s executive vice president of tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, says in the press release. “Today’s preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Emma RothCreatorsPolicySocial MediaTechTikTokMost PopularAnker’s new window-mounted camera monitors the outside of your home from within itThe touchscreen MacBook Pro is a winnerXbox overhauls its PC, web, and cloud apps with a faster designDiscord is ditching Electron and its new app uses less RAMThe M6 MacBook Pro is probably the last of its kindAdvertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native ad
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