EU Accuses TikTok of Violating Content Regulations
The European Commission accuses TikTok of violating content rules and threatens fines.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Regulatory bodies overseeing the technology sector in the European Union accused the social media platform TikTok on Friday of violating the bloc’s rules on electronic content, and demanded that it address what is known as the “rabbit hole” effect in its recommendation system, which draws users’ attention to a continuous stream of similar videos.
The regulators said that ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, could face a fine of up to six percent of its total global annual revenue next year if it fails to resolve the issue.
Social media companies are facing pressure to modify their algorithms amid growing global concerns that their platforms contribute to a mental health crisis among children, prompting some governments to impose bans on minor users or consider doing so.
The European Commission, which acts as the EU’s technology regulator, said it issued what are known as preliminary findings against TikTok after the company failed to implement proportionate, reasonable, and effective measures to address these risks.
It added that repeated and sustained exposure to content related to sadness, isolation, or body image could have a strong adverse effect on users’ mental health.
In a statement, the company said, “The Commission has issued a series of statements that are fundamentally inaccurate and distort the structure of our platform and our commitment to user safety.”
It added, “We have a strong track record of protecting our community by giving users direct and intuitive control over their content experience.”
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, said in a statement, “Every time a user scrolls through or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more similar content, leading users into rabbit-hole-like mazes from which they cannot easily escape.”
The Commission stated that TikTok needs to redesign its “For You” feed algorithm, rely more heavily on users’ explicit preferences, improve the accessibility and usability of user controls, and regularly test its algorithm, among other changes.
