Built to Hook
Social media platforms are designed to capture our attention, even at the cost of young people's wellbeing. We want that to change.
The Problem
Social media features like infinite scrolling, autoplay, and relentless notifications are engineered to capture our attention.
This addictive design is taking a toll: the WHO reports that problematic social media use among adolescents rose from 7% in 2018 to 11% today,¹ with rates in Austria hitting 10% for girls and 7% for boys.²
Regulators are stepping in - in February 2026, the European Commission preliminarily ruled that TikTok’s design features violate EU law.³
Design statement
The problem isn't the content. It's the design.
Endless feeds and autoplay are not technical necessities. They are choices, and the platforms could choose differently .
What we want
With partners in Germany and the Netherlands, we are exploring legal action. Our aims:
Change the design. Stop platforms pushing children into excessive use.
Hold them accountable. Make companies answer for the harm caused.
Remove the incentive. End the profit in harmful design.
Similar cases are already in US courts. We want to bring them before European courts, under European law.
Who we are
AllRise Impact is a nonprofit organisation based in Vienna that uses strategic litigation where politics and voluntary commitments fall short. On this case we work with lawyers and experts across Europe.
Sources
¹ WHO Europe, Health Behaviour in School aged Children study (HBSC), 2024 report on social media use
² HBSC Austria
³ European Commission, preliminary findings on TikTok, February 2026