TikTok For You Algorithm Faces EU Demand for Feed Changes
The European Commission issued preliminary findings on November 6 saying TikTok’s For You feed can repeatedly recommend potentially harmful material and that the company has not sufficiently assessed or reduced the risks. TikTok disputes the findings and can respond before the Commission makes a final decision.
The European Commission issued preliminary findings on November 6 targeting TikTok’s For You algorithm, saying the feed can repeatedly recommend potentially harmful content and TikTok has not adequately assessed or reduced the risks.
The Commission’s concerns include videos about body image, sadness and isolation. TikTok disputes the findings, which are not a final decision, and no algorithm change has been announced.
What the Commission wants changed
The For You feed uses actions such as watching and liking videos to shape recommendations. The Commission says repeated engagement with sensitive topics can lead to similar videos appearing again, creating patterns that vulnerable users may find difficult to leave.
Regulators want TikTok to give more weight to preferences users state directly, stop using viewing time as a recommendation signal, and make preference controls easier to access. These are proposed changes, not features TikTok has agreed to introduce.
The Commission says TikTok’s existing tools, including a “Not interested” control and the option to refresh a feed, have not reduced the patterns enough. The case concerns how recommendations can repeat, even when individual videos comply with TikTok’s content rules.
European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen said the feed can lead users “down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from.” She said the preliminary findings show TikTok “needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ well-being, including those of minors.”
TikTok rejects the findings
A TikTok spokesperson called the Commission’s findings “fundamentally inaccurate” and said they distort the platform’s architecture and its commitment to user safety. The company said it has a “strong record of protecting our community” while giving users control over their content experience.
TikTok can review and respond to the preliminary findings before the Commission reaches a final decision. Only a confirmed adverse decision could lead to sanctions in this case, with a possible penalty of up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover.
The November findings address recommendations and user controls. The Commission’s February 2026 preliminary findings concerned addictive design features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay.
For creators and brands, the proposed changes could affect how viewing behavior influences which videos reach users. The Commission’s case remains open, and TikTok has not announced changes to its feed.
