BRUSSELS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Friday charged TikTok with violating EU rules on online content due to what the bloc's communications regulator called its addictive characteristics. The Commission ordered the platform to change its design or face a fine of up to 6% of the global revenue of its parent company, ByteDance.

The European regulator's concerns focus on TikTok's addictive design, which includes features such as endless browsing, autoplay, instant notifications, and a highly personalized recommendation system based on each user's preferences.

TikTok, whose algorithm is based on understanding users' interests and has been a key factor in the social media app's global success, criticized the charges brought against it by the European Commission.

This regulatory move highlights the European Union's campaign against Big Tech companies, a campaign that has drawn criticism from the U.S. government over censorship and led to threats of tariffs.

The commission set its charges after a year-long investigation under the Digital Services Act, which requires large online platforms to do more to combat harmful and illegal content.

A TikTok spokesperson said, "The Commission's preliminary findings present a completely false and unfounded picture of our platform, and we will take all necessary steps to challenge these findings."

The Commission, which enforces technology laws in the European Union, cited as an example of addictive features the platform's constant production of new content to reward users, which fuels the desire to keep switching between clips and puts users' minds in a state where they succumb to the content offered by the application.