TikTok — DSA enforcement

Addictive "rabbit-hole" recommender effects, protection of minors, the advertising repository and researcher data access.

• Art. 28
• Art. 34
• Art. 35
• Art. 39
• Art. 40

1. February 19, 2024Formal proceedings opened

   Covering addictive design and the "rabbit hole" effect, minors’ safety and default settings, the ad repository and researcher data access. Source ↗

2. May 15, 2025Preliminary finding — ad repository

   TikTok’s ad repository preliminarily breaches Art. 39: missing content/targeting/funding data and not comprehensively searchable. Source ↗

3. October 24, 2025Preliminary finding — data access

   TikTok (alongside Meta) preliminarily in breach of Art. 40: burdensome procedures and tools for researcher access to public data. Source ↗

4. December 5, 2025Commitments accepted — ad transparency

   Binding Art. 71 commitments close the advertising-transparency strand: full ad content incl. URLs, ≤24h repository updates, targeting criteria and added search filters. Source ↗

5. February 6, 2026Preliminary finding — addictive design

   TikTok preliminarily in breach over addictive design (infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications); the Commission says it must change the basic design, e.g. disable infinite scroll over time. Source ↗

The TikTok Lite rewards programme launched in France and Spain without a prior risk assessment — suspected addictive-design harm, especially to minors. The first DSA case ever closed.

• Art. 34
• Art. 35

1. April 17, 2024Request for information (by decision)

   The Commission compelled TikTok to deliver the TikTok Lite risk assessment; TikTok failed to deliver by the deadline. Source ↗

2. April 22, 2024Proceedings opened + intent to suspend

   Second TikTok proceeding opened, with an announced intention to impose interim measures suspending the Lite rewards programme EU-wide. Source ↗

3. April 24, 2024 (approx.)TikTok suspends the rewards feature

   TikTok voluntarily suspended the TikTok Lite rewards feature in the EU, pre-empting a formal interim-measures decision.

4. August 5, 2024Commitments binding — case closed

   The Commission made binding TikTok’s commitment to permanently withdraw the Lite Rewards programme from the EU — the first DSA case ever closed (Case DSA.100121). Source ↗

TikTok’s management of systemic risks to election integrity and civic discourse, in the context of the annulled Romanian presidential election — recommender systems, coordinated inauthentic manipulation and political-ads policy.

• Art. 34
• Art. 35

1. November 29, 2024Request for information

   RFI to TikTok on election risks after the annulled Romanian presidential first round. Source ↗

2. December 5, 2024Retention order

   The Commission ordered TikTok to retain data relating to the Romanian elections. Source ↗

3. December 17, 2024Formal proceedings opened

   On TikTok’s management of election risks under the DSA. Source ↗