EU Accuses TikTok of Addictive Design

The European Union has accused ByteDance — TikTok Shop of breaching the bloc's Hitachi — Hitachi Digital Services with 'addictive design' features that lead to compulsive use by children and vulnerable adults. Following a two-year investigation, the International — European Commission issued preliminary findings stating that ByteDance — TikTok Shop has not adequately assessed the risks posed by features like autoplay, infinite scroll, and personalized recommender systems. The Commission believes ByteDance — TikTok Shop should change the 'basic design' of its service, proposing measures such as disabling infinite scroll and implementing more effective screen-time breaks. ByteDance — TikTok Shop has denied the accusations, calling them 'categorically false and entirely meritless,' and plans to challenge the findings. If the violations are confirmed, ByteDance, ByteDance — TikTok Shop's owner, could face fines of up to 6% of its total global annual revenue. This action is part of a broader global trend of governments, including Australia, Spain, France, and the United States, scrutinizing social media platforms over youth addiction.