The EU declares TikTok's 'infinite scroll' and 'highly personalised recommender system' are 'addictive design in breach of the Digital Services Act'

The EU declares TikTok’s ‘infinite scroll’ and ‘highly personalised recommender system’ are ‘addictive design in breach of the Digital Services Act’ | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show Software Movies & TV Codes Coupons Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these Games Discord is rolling out facial scanning and ID checks globally in March for users who don’t want to be locked into a ‘teen-appropriate experience’ Platforms Oh, good: Discord’s age verification rollout has ties to Palantir co-founder and panopticon architect Peter Thiel Platforms Here’s what happens if you don’t complete Discord age verification Hardware I’ve tested 3 free Discord alternatives in a desperate attempt not to offer up my personal data just to talk to my favorite weirdos Gaming Industry ‘There’s no reason for Discord to comply in advance’ with social media age verification laws instead of ‘fighting for their users’ says EFF expert Hardware Discord clarifies it ‘is not requiring everyone to complete a face scan or upload an ID’ and will ‘confirm your age group using information we already have’ Hardware ‘Sick, bro, nice vape’ is what I’d say to the people that turned a vape into a synth ocarina AI Did they hit a nerve? 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Software The EU declares TikTok’s ‘infinite scroll’ and ‘highly personalised recommender system’ are ‘addictive design in breach of the Digital Services Act’ News By Justin Wagner published 15 February 2026 The European Commission has taken a stance against some of social media’s deleterious rhythms. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter PC Gamer Get the PC Gamer Newsletter Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday GamesRadar+ Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you’re going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Signup + Every Thursday GTA 6 O’clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O’clock experts. Signup + Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what’s on the horizon. Signup + Every Thursday The Setup Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more. Signup + Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo’s new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play. Signup + Every Saturday The Watchlist Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter It’s become something of a meme to think of social media as a digital skinner box, but is that enough to warrant action against it? The European Commission seems to think so, as it announced that ubiquitous short form video app TikTok is “in breach of the Digital Services Act for its addictive design,” in a February 5 press release.The release states: “The Commission’s investigation preliminarily indicates that TikTok did not adequately assess how these addictive features could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of its users, including minors and vulnerable adults … by constantly ‘rewarding’ users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into ‘autopilot mode’.”It cites some worrisome figures that it claims TikTok “disregarded,” such as the amount of time minors spend on the app at night, and reckons that the parental control tools don’t do enough to curb the app’s potential to incite “compulsive behaviour and reduce users’ self-control.” Related articles EU regulators say that TikTok has ‘an addictive design’ in a preliminary report, and that it might receive a hefty fine if it doesn’t change its infinite-scrolling ways Inundated with slop, TikTok tests feature that will let users request to ‘see less’ AI generated content in their feeds EU investigating Grok and X over whether it made citizens ‘collateral damage’ for its services This is just a preliminary investigation by the c