The European Commission has preliminarily found TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act over the “rabbit hole effect” of its For You feed. The finding concerns how the feed repeatedly recommends similar videos as users interact with them.
For You gives users a continuous stream of personalised videos. According to the Commission, that stream can include content about mental health struggles and body image.
The Commission says TikTok recommends more of a type of content when a user engages with it. Repeated exposure can be harmful when the videos concern sadness, isolation or body image, it says.
Read nextMusk says Tesla will wind down Cybertruck productionThe agency says these rabbit holes can harm users’ mental health, particularly for vulnerable adults and minors. Its preliminary findings address both TikTok’s assessment of the risks and the measures it has taken to reduce them.
The Commission announced the preliminary finding on November 6, 2026. It concerns the For You recommender system and its potential effect on users exposed to an ongoing stream of similar content.
