ISTANBUL

A new report by Amnesty International has accused TikTok of endangering young users in France by promoting a stream of depressive and suicidal content through its algorithm, despite EU rules designed to protect children online.

The study, titled “Dragged into the Rabbit Hole,” found that the platform’s “For You” feed exposed 13-year-olds to distressing videos within hours, creating what Amnesty called a “toxic cycle” of mental health–related material.

Amnesty researchers set up three teenage test accounts in France to examine how TikTok’s recommendation system reacts to interest in mental health topics.

Within just five minutes, the accounts encountered videos about sadness and disillusionment. After 15 minutes, half the feed contained depressive material, and within 45 minutes, two of the accounts were shown videos referencing suicidal thoughts.

“Our research shows how quickly TikTok can draw vulnerable teenagers into a spiral of harmful content,” said Lisa Dittmer, Amnesty’s researcher on children’s and young people’s digital rights.

“The platform’s design amplifies distress instead of protecting users.”

The investigation, conducted in cooperation with the Algorithmic Transparency Institute, also found that when accounts interacted with sad or depressive videos, the algorithm more than doubled the amount of similar content suggested.

TikTok’s practices, Amnesty said, appear to violate the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires social media platforms to assess and reduce systemic risks to children’s rights.

The report urges the European Commission to impose “binding and effective measures” to make the app safe for minors.

Amnesty’s report includes testimonies from French teenagers and bereaved parents who say the platform normalized self-harm and suicidal ideation.

“There are videos still burned into my memory,” said Maelle, 18, who described how her mental health deteriorated after being exposed to self-harm content on TikTok. “Seeing people who cut themselves or explain what medication to take, it influences and encourages you to harm yourself.”

Stephanie Mistre, whose 15-year-old daughter Marie died by suicide in 2021, said TikTok’s algorithms turned children into “products.”

“They use our children as products, capturing their emotions to keep them online,” she told Amnesty.

“This intrusion into children’s private lives is unacceptable. Children have rights.”

TikTok, which is regulated in the EU under the DSA since 2023, faces mounting scrutiny from European regulators over its handling of harmful content. Despite introducing new safeguards in 2024, Amnesty says the platform continues to expose minors to content that glamorizes despair and self-harm.

“TikTok’s disregard for systemic harms linked to its engagement-driven model raises serious compliance concerns,” said Katia Roux, advocacy officer at Amnesty France.

“The Commission must act decisively to protect vulnerable users."