Safe by Default (People vs Big Tech briefing)

Produced as part of the "People vs Big Tech" campaign, this briefing addresses engagement-optimized recommender systems on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, arguing that the amplification of borderline and harmful content by these systems is a structural feature of their design rather than an incidental flaw.

The briefing calls on regulators to require that platforms offer "safe by default" feeds — recommendation systems not built on individual behavioral profiling — as the standard experience for users, rather than an opt-in alternative buried in settings. It frames this as a necessary complement to existing transparency and risk-mitigation obligations under the EU's Digital Services Act, arguing that transparency alone does not address the underlying incentive to maximize engagement through amplification of provocative content.

Its conclusion is that meaningful protection from harmful recommender-driven amplification requires structural changes to default settings, shifting the burden from individual users managing their own exposure to platforms redesigning systems around non-profiling defaults.