TikTok has been charged by the European Commission for allegedly failing to protect users' mental health. The EU regulator issued a preliminary ruling on Friday, November 6, 2026, stating that TikTok's algorithm "can be harmful" and exposes users to content that risks worsening eating disorders and anxiety.
The investigation found that the Chinese-owned platform, which has 189 million users in the EU, failed to prevent repetitive content on themes such as body image or isolation. Officials noted that while a single video might not be problematic, the cumulative effect of watching many on one theme could damage mental health.
The Commission's lead official on tech policy, Henna Virkkunen, stated that TikTok's safeguards against "rabbit-hole effects" were ineffective. She cited an example where marking a video as "not interested" did not stop the algorithm from offering similar content. The EU investigation is part of a broader inquiry launched in February 2024 under the Digital Services Act.
In response, a TikTok spokesperson called the Commission's statements "fundamentally inaccurate" and said the company has a strong record of protecting its community. TikTok argues its policies prohibit content promoting disordered eating and that millions of users utilise its content filters.
The Molly Rose Foundation, established in memory of Molly Russell, welcomed the findings and called on the UK regulator, Ofcom, to investigate TikTok's algorithm. The EU is seeking changes to the design of TikTok's ForYou feed to give users more control over content. TikTok now has the opportunity to examine the investigation file and present a defence, potentially agreeing to change its recommender system to avoid a fine.