TikTok without children, or with better design?

group take a closer look at EU action on social media bans and addictive platform design, with a focus on the European Commission's investigation into TikTok.On 2 March 2026, the UK government launched a landmark consultation on UK children's digital wellbeing, covering social media age bans, curfews, AI chatbots and gaming.This is telling for a time in which political and public concerns on the potential harmful impact of social media platforms are leading to calls to 'ban' children and teenagers from those spaces in countries across the world.In the midst of this debate, the European Commission disclosed its long-awaited preliminary findings regarding its investigation into whether TikTok, the social media platform used by 170 million people across the European Union, is in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA).This marks an important step in the formal proceedings which were initiated in 2024.As 'addictive' features are central to concerns leading to these contested calls, the potential of the Digital Services Act to change platform design is crucial.