The EU Moves To Kill Infinite Scrolling

Source: Slashdot

EU Proposal to Ban Infinite Scrolling

Doom scrolling is doomed, if the EU gets its way. From a report: the European Commission is, for the first time, tackling the addictiveness of social media in a fight against TikTok that may set new design standards for the world’s most popular apps. Brussels has told the company to change several key features, including disabling infinite scrolling (source), setting strict screen‑time breaks, and altering its recommender systems. The demand follows the Commission’s declaration that TikTok’s design is addictive to users—especially children.

Key points of the Commission’s demand

• Disable infinite scrolling on TikTok.
• Introduce mandatory screen‑time breaks for users.
• Modify recommender algorithms to reduce addictive loops.

Industry reaction

The fact that the Commission said TikTok should change the basic design of its service is “ground‑breaking for the business model fueled by surveillance and advertising,” said Katarzyna Szymielewicz, president of the Panoptykon Foundation, a Polish civil‑society group. That doesn’t bode well for other platforms, particularly Meta’s Facebook and Instagram. The two social‑media giants are also under investigation over the addictiveness of their design.