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EU regulators preliminarily find TikTok’s For You feed breaches digital rules

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly left-leaning (67%).

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

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Image via PBS NewsHourHow images are chosenReport this image

The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that TikTok breached EU digital rules through its For You feed. The Commission says the algorithm serves similar clips based on what users previously viewed or liked, even when they are triggering, and can lead them into rabbit holes they cannot easily escape. It says TikTok must change the feed’s design so users have more control over opting out of certain content, and it has threatened large fines. TikTok called the findings fundamentally inaccurate and said it has a strong record of protecting users. The findings are preliminary, and TikTok will have a chance to respond before any final decision.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The European Commission issued preliminary findings on Friday that TikTok breached the Digital Services Act through its For You feed.

    Reported byLeft2Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English, The Guardian
    Center
    PBS NewsHour

  2. The Commission says the feed recommends similar videos based on past views or likes, even when they are triggering, and can lead users into rabbit holes.

    Reported byLeft2Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English, The Guardian
    Center
    PBS NewsHour

  3. The Commission says TikTok must change the feed’s design so users have more control over opting out of certain content.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    PBS NewsHour

  4. The Commission has threatened TikTok with large fines.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

  5. TikTok says the findings are fundamentally inaccurate and that it has a strong record of protecting its community.

    One outletPBS NewsHour· Center

  6. TikTok has 189 million users in the EU.

    One outletThe Guardian· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Questions the coverage answers differently, and who says what.

  • Did TikTok’s For You feed fail to protect users from harmful rabbit holes?

    The European Commission says TikTok failed to assess how its recommendation system could lead users into rabbit holes, and that its safeguards were ineffective. TikTok says the findings are fundamentally inaccurate and distort its platform’s architecture.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three outlets report that the European Commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok’s For You feed breaches EU digital rules. Left-side outlets stress harm to young users and threats of large fines, while the center-side AP report stresses required design changes and TikTok’s rejection of the findings.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Headlines put the regulator’s order and harm to young users first, with Al Jazeera stressing possible fines and the Guardian stressing mental health and the platform’s business model.

    EU charges TikTok with failing to protect users’ mental health
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The AP report, carried by PBS NewsHour, frames the event as a violation of EU digital rules and stresses the required design changes.

    EU accuses TikTok of violating its digital rules
    PBS NewsHourCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    No coverage yet

    No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    relentless stream of content

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right

    Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    relentless stream of contentMore neutral: nonstop stream of content

    The adjective adds drama beyond the Commission’s own description of a nonstop stream of videos.

    …with failing to protect users’ mental health by exposing them to a relentless stream of content that risks worsening eating disorders and anxiety in a case that strikes at…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • harm to young and vulnerable users
  • threat of large fines
  • mental health risks
  • the algorithm’s business model
See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • Al Jazeera EnglishLeft

    EU tells TikTok to fix ‘harmful’ For You feed, threatens fines

    TikTok's algorithm 'leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from', European Commission says.

    Read at Al Jazeera English (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    EU charges TikTok with failing to protect users’ mental health

    Regulator’s initial ruling says algorithm ‘can be harmful’ and led young and vulnerable viewers ‘down rabbit holes they can’t easily escape’ Business live – latest updates TikTok has been charged by the European Commission with failing to protect users’ mental health by exposing …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • breach of EU digital rules
  • users’ control over opting out
  • TikTok’s rejection of the findings
  • mental health and body image
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • PBS NewsHourCenterAssociated Press report

    EU accuses TikTok of violating its digital rules

    The short-video sharing platform must change the design of its "For You" feed so that users have more control over opting out of seeing certain content, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm said Friday.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)

From the right

0 outlets

No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The Guardian, Nov 6, 8:49 AM EST

  • Center

    4 hr 17 min later

    Its first report, Nov 6, 1:07 PM EST

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The GuardianLeftNov 6, 8:49 AM EST
  2. PBS NewsHourCenterNov 6, 1:07 PM EST
  3. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftNov 6, 6:33 PM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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