The European Commission is investigating TikTok over concerns the social media platform is deliberately designed to be addictive, potentially violating EU law. The investigation, launched February 23, 2026, centers on whether TikTok fails to adequately protect the mental and physical health of its users, particularly adolescents.
At issue are features such as endless scrolling, automatically playing videos, personalized recommendations, and frequent push notifications. According to the Commission, these elements are engineered to maximize user engagement, keeping individuals on the platform for extended periods. This design, the Commission argues, exploits neuropsychological principles, triggering dopamine release with each new video, creating a cycle difficult to break.
The investigation focuses on potential breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a landmark EU law designed to regulate online platforms and protect users. The DSA requires platforms to assess and mitigate risks associated with their services, including those related to mental health. The Commission believes TikTok has not sufficiently evaluated these risks or implemented adequate safeguards.
A recent study by the Bertelsmann Foundation revealed that 74 percent of young people in Germany now receive their political information via TikTok and Instagram, surpassing traditional sources like schools (60 percent) and newspapers (46 percent). This increasing reliance on the platform for information underscores the potential impact of its design on the political awareness and engagement of young citizens.
Concerns about TikTok’s impact on youth are not new. A Vodafone Foundation study found that nearly three-quarters of young people report spending more time on social media than they intend to. A report from the JFF – Institute of Media Education, titled ACT ON! Short Report Nr. 7, highlighted that adolescents value the ease of video creation and the lack of content restrictions on TikTok, but also recognize the pressure to gain popularity and the risk of encountering hate speech. The study, based on interviews with 89 children and teenagers aged 12-14, found that whereas many are aware of privacy settings, they fear the uncontrolled spread of their videos.
The EU Commission is demanding changes to TikTok’s design, including stricter time limits, a revision of its recommendation algorithms, and a more thorough risk assessment. Failure to comply could result in fines amounting to billions of euros. TikTok currently has 25.7 million users in Germany alone.
The investigation comes amid growing scrutiny of social media platforms and their impact on young people. The #UseTheNews study, released in 2025, examined how aware young people are of the mechanisms employed by TikTok and how they interact with them. The Commission has not yet indicated a timeline for completing its investigation.
