If you scroll TikTok at breakfast and resurface somewhere near lunch, you’ve already met the heart of the European Union’s case: design that keeps you glued to the screen. This week, the EU told TikTok to change that design. Regulators say core features—like infinite scroll, autoplay, hyper-personalized recommendations, and push notifications—are optimized to hijack attention, especially for children and teens. In plain language: the app is too good at keeping you there. In regulatory language: the platform’s “addictive design” poses a systemic risk under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). (The Verge)

The European Commission’s preliminary findings, unveiled on February 6, 2026, say TikTok hasn’t implemented adequate safeguards for young users and must modify aspects of its user interface and recommendation systems or face penalties up to 6% of global turnover. TikTok disputes the framing and plans to challenge the results, but the direction of travel is clear: this is the highest-profile attempt yet to tame “sticky” design across a major social platform. (The Guardian)

The short version (before we dive deep)

• The EU says TikTok’s design—especially infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and its recommender—creates compulsive use and risks to minors. TikTok denies wrongdoing. (The Verge)

• If the findings stand, the Commission could order design changes and levy fines up to 6% of global revenue. (The Guardian)

• This builds on earlier EU actions around TikTok Lite rewards in 2024 and the broader DSA investigations launched that year. (European Commission)

What exactly did the EU say?

In its preliminary ruling, the Commission argues that TikTok failed to properly assess and mitigate risks stemming from the way the app is built to drive continuous engagement. The decision spotlights the infinite scroll feed (“keep swiping, new video forever”), autoplay, constant nudging via notifications, and the recommender system that learns what you can’t resist and serves you more of it—without sufficient brakes. (The Verge)

It also takes aim at weak screen-time tools and parental controls, saying they don’t meaningfully interrupt the compulsion loop or protect younger users. The Commission hints at mandatory features like genuine screen-time breaks, stronger default limits for minors, and possibly disabling certain “addictive” patterns by default. (The Guardian)

Why now?

This is not a thunderbolt from nowhere. The EU has been circling the issue since 2024, when it opened formal DSA proceedings into TikTok’s design and transparency practices. A related skirmish: TikTok Lite’s “task-and-reward” program in France and Spain, which let people earn points for watching videos. Under EU pressure, TikTok first suspended and then withdrew the rewards model across the bloc in 2024—an early signal that the Commission would treat gamified attention as a serious risk. (European Commission)

This week’s action extends that logic from a niche “Lite” feature to TikTok’s main design. The EU is sketching a broader regulatory doctrine: addictive design is a systemic risk—and systemic risks are exactly what the DSA is meant to curb. (Tech Policy Press)

What changes might TikTok actually have to make?

While the Commission hasn’t published a final, line-by-line product spec, its shopping list is visible in the preliminary findings and recent practice:

• Interrupt the feed: Real, not theatrical, breaks in the content stream—especially for minors. Think “You’ve been scrolling for 20 minutes; take a breather” that actually pauses the feed. (The Verge)

• Dial down infinity: Disable or soften infinite scroll by default for under-18s, maybe everyone at certain thresholds, or add “chapters” in the feed to create stopping points. (EUobserver)

• Autoplay with brakes: Default off for minors, stricter maximums for everyone, and more friction before the next video plays. (The Verge)

• Notification hygiene: Fewer late-night nudges, more time-bounded delivery (e.g., digest bundles), and child-safe defaults that mute dopamine-y prompts. (The Verge)

• Recommender transparency and control: Clear explanations of why videos appear, strong “less like this” controls, and possibly non-profiling modes that rely less on sensitive signals for minors. (The Verge)

None of these are exotic. Streaming platforms already throttle autoplay in kids’ profiles. Fitness apps celebrate streaks without slot-machine vibes. The difference is scale: TikTok’s feed is a masterclass in micro-optimization, and tiny reductions in friction can mean massive differences in hours watched.

TikTok’s response (and what it means)

TikTok says the Commission’s conclusions are “unfounded/meritless” and that it will challenge them. That’s standard litigation posture. At the same time, TikTok has shown pragmatism in Europe before (see: TikTok Lite rewards), and the company knows the DSA’s penalties are meaningful. A drawn-out fight is likely—but product tweaks during the fight are likely, too. (Al Jazeera)

The stakes: not just for TikTok

If the findings stand, the EU can order changes and fine up to 6% of global revenue. For an app at TikTok’s scale, that’s not a rounding error—it’s existential incentive to comply. More importantly, a final decision would set a strong precedent for other platforms with similar loops (infinite feeds, autoplay, push nudges, and opaque recommender systems). Think of it as a pattern-ban rather than a product-ban. (The Guardian)

Expect ripple effects to Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and any app that leans on infinite feeds to juice session length. Once “addictive design” is canonized as a systemic risk, the EU will have a template to pressure other platforms. And because global apps hate fragmentation, changes in the EU often radiate beyond the EU—even if only to standardize engineering. (Tech Policy Press)

A quick primer: What the DSA actually cares about

The DSA is a safety-and-accountability framework for “very large online platforms.” It has a few core levers that matter here:

• Risk assessments for features that could harm minors or civic discourse.

• Mitigation measures when a risk is found.

• Transparency in advertising and recommendations.

• Researcher data access—so academics can interrogate how feeds behave. (The Verge)

TikTok’s prior dust-ups with the EU hit these exact points: launching attention-incentive features without robust pre-launch assessment; limited researcher access; and insufficient default protections for young users. The new case says those issues aren’t isolated; they’re embedded in the app’s core design. (European Commission)

How “addictive design” works (and why the EU is calling it out)

A few design moves, taken together, create the compulsion loop:

1. Endless content: Infinite scroll + autoplay provide no exit points.

2. Perfectly-timed rewards: The feed mixes mundane clips with unpredictable hits, a variable reward schedule similar to slot machines.

3. Learning your cravings: A powerful recommender quickly orients around what you’ll watch too much of.

4. Nudges at the right moment: Push notifications and clever prompts tug you back exactly when your attention drifts.

The psychology isn’t controversial; it’s first-year behavior science. What’s new is a regulator saying: When you aim that machine at minors, it’s a systemic risk—and you must retool the machine. (The Verge)

What about parents, educators, and teen users?

If you’re a parent, the EU’s ask could materially change the UX your child sees. Look for:

• Stronger defaults: Autoplay off for minors, fewer notifications, and earlier break prompts.

• Clear dashboards: Weekly usage summaries and hard stops after certain durations, with parent-controlled overrides.

• Better content controls: A non-profiling or less personalized feed mode for kids to reduce “rabbit hole” risk. (The Verge)

For teens, this will feel like the platform “getting in your way.” But good design draws a line between freedom and friction. The EU’s argument is that friction at the right time is a safety feature, not a buzzkill.

Creators and brands: how to adapt

Creators: You live by retention graphs; any brake on autoplay or infinite scroll will affect your average watch time. That said:

• Hooks still matter—but hooks that are honest (clear value upfront, no ragebait) will survive longer than those that trick people into staying.

• Series formats may benefit if feeds add natural chapter breaks; viewers can commit to episode 2 on purpose.

• Community signals (comments saved, shares) could gain weight relative to raw watch time, depending on how recommender controls evolve.

Brands: Think context and consent. If feeds become less hyper-personal and more intent-friendly, search-optimized and informational short videos will win. Create for quality sessions, not endless sessions.

The backstory: TikTok Lite and the EU’s learning curve

In 2024, TikTok trialed Lite in France and Spain with a rewards program: watch videos, get points. The Commission demanded a risk assessment and ultimately extracted commitments to withdraw the feature across the EU. That campaign taught Brussels two things:

• You can treat attention as a regulated substance when minors are involved.

• You can force design retreats without banning the app outright. (euronews)

The new case applies that lesson to the main app’s everyday loops. It’s less about “coins for watching” and more about the default gravity of the feed. If the Commission prevails, we’ll move from patching “badges and points” to reshaping how feeds end (or at least pause). (TechCrunch)

What happens next?

Procedurally, we’re still in preliminary findings. TikTok can respond, submit remedies, and litigate. But two anchors won’t move:

1. The DSA gives the Commission teeth: remedies and big fines.

2. The EU has already shown it will force design changes (TikTok Lite). (The Guardian)

Timelines are flexible—regulatory cases aren’t Netflix seasons—but the Commission has been quicker under the DSA than under prior regimes. Expect negotiations and iterations rather than a single thunderclap.

Will this make TikTok less fun?

Maybe a little. But design that respects human limits can still be delightful. Think of it as UX with a seatbelt: you still get the drive; you just don’t fly through the windshield on a sharp turn. And the creative community often flourishes when constraints change—formats evolve, storytelling adapts, novelty returns.

Global echo: what about the UK and the US?

Regulatory ecosystems tend to cross-pollinate. The UK has its Online Safety Act; the US has a patchwork of proposals and state laws. Any public commitments TikTok makes in the EU may be hard to confine geographically. If engineering teams build breaks, caps, and clearer controls, those tools are likely to show up elsewhere—if only to reduce operating complexity. (Meanwhile, the US policy debate about TikTok’s ownership and algorithm will continue on a separate track.) (The Verge)

Practical tips for users—right now

Until changes land, you can still hack your own guardrails:

• Kill autoplay wherever possible and schedule notification digests.

• Set your own “chapter breaks”—watch in batches with a timer.

• Use “Not interested” aggressively to steer the algorithm away from sticky-but-empty content.

These aren’t moral judgments; they’re anti-burnout tactics. If you treat your attention like a scarce resource, the apps will treat it better too.

The bigger idea

We’re watching the web’s long drift from “neutral tools” to “accountable experiences.” Once upon a time, frictionless was always good. Now, regulators—and a lot of users—are asking whether frictionless is sometimes reckless. Infinite feeds weren’t handed down from Mount Internet; they were design choices. Choices can be changed.

If this case sticks, the EU will have carved a new design doctrine: when the architecture of an app creates foreseeable harm—especially for kids—the solution is not just to police content or ads, but to re-shape the architecture itself. That’s a big shift.

Key facts at a glance (with sources)

• Date: Preliminary findings published February 6, 2026. (TechCrunch)

• Core allegations: Infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and recommender design create compulsive use; safeguards for minors are inadequate. (The Verge)

• Potential penalties: Up to 6% of global revenue; binding design changes possible under the DSA. (The Guardian)

• Context: 2024–2025 DSA proceedings; TikTok Lite rewards suspended and then withdrawn EU-wide in 2024. (European Commission)

• What could change: Real screen-time breaks, limited infinite scroll, autoplay off-by-default for minors, rebalanced notifications, and greater recommender control/transparency. (The Verge)

What it means for the next version of TikTok

If you open the app a few months from now and it feels different in the EU—more speed bumps, fewer pings, clearer options—you’ll be living inside a new theory of digital governance: design is policy. Your feed will still be your feed. It just won’t be a frictionless slide. And for millions of younger users, that friction will be literal protection.

Companies that grew up maximizing watch time will pivot to optimizing opt-in engagement—the kind where the user chooses to keep watching. That’s a higher bar, and a healthier one.

Entities to watch

• European Commission — the enforcer of the DSA and the source of the preliminary findings against TikTok. (European Commission)

• TikTok — the app under scrutiny for design choices deemed addictive by EU regulators. (The Verge)

• ByteDance — TikTok’s parent, exposed to the 6% global revenue fine. (The Guardian)

• France and Spain — the 2024 test beds for TikTok Lite’s now-withdrawn rewards program. (euronews)

Final thought

There’s nothing inherently evil about infinite scroll; a book is infinite if you never put it down. But good product design has always been about trade-offs, and the EU is forcing a recalculation of those trade-offs for an app that shapes how a generation spends its time. Whether you cheer or groan probably depends on how many hours you’ve lost to the For You page.

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