The European Union (EU) has ordered social network TikTok to change the design of its content that is considered “addictive” or risk heavy fines under the EU’s digital content rules.

The EU has said in its preliminary findings of an investigation opened two years ago that TikTok has not taken effective steps to address the app's negative impact, particularly on minors and vulnerable adults. 

EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said TikTok's addictive design violated the Digital Services Act, citing concerns over features such as excessive exposure to addictive content, automated broadcasts, promotional notifications and a highly personalized recommendation system. "These features lead to compulsive use of the app, especially for our children, and pose a significant risk to their mental health and well-being," he said.

He said TikTok's measures were not sufficient. "TikTok rejects the EU's findings and presents a clearly false and completely substandard portrayal of our platform," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.