EU Tells Instagram, Facebook to Change Addictive Features Or Risk Fines
The European Union has accused Meta Platforms of breaching its landmark digital rules, warning the tech giant to overhaul addictive features on Facebook and Instagram—including autoplay and infinite scroll—or face hefty financial penalties.
The European Commission's preliminary findings conclude a two-year investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA), with regulators arguing that Meta has failed to adequately protect users, particularly children and teenagers, from the risks posed by highly engaging platform designs.
According to the Commission, features such as autoplay, infinite scroll, personalised recommendations, Reels and Stories encourage excessive and compulsive use, exposing young users to potential mental health risks.
The regulator said Meta's existing safeguards are insufficient, noting that time management tools can easily be ignored while parental controls are often too complex and time-consuming for many families to use effectively.
As part of its preliminary findings, the Commission is demanding that Meta disable autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introduce more effective screen-time reminders and redesign its recommendation algorithms to prioritise user well-being over engagement.
"Our starting point is that, based on our findings, this design is too addictive and changes need to be made," EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, told Reuters.
She said Meta now has the option to change its platform design or face a formal non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act.
Meta rejected the Commission's preliminary conclusions, insisting it has taken significant steps to protect younger users.
"We disagree with these preliminary findings, which don't accurately take into account the significant steps we've taken to protect teens," Meta spokesperson Ben Walters said.
The company pointed to its recently introduced Teen Accounts, which automatically apply stricter privacy and safety settings for young users while giving parents greater control over screen time and nighttime access.
Meta said it would continue engaging with EU regulators as the investigation progresses.
If found to have violated the Digital Services Act, Meta could face fines of up to six percent of its annual global turnover.
The case comes amid increasing global scrutiny of social media platforms over concerns that their recommendation systems and engagement-driven designs are contributing to declining mental health among children and adolescents.
The European Commission has already launched similar proceedings against TikTok over comparable features and is separately investigating whether Facebook and Instagram's recommendation algorithms create "rabbit hole" effects that draw users into prolonged viewing sessions.
In another ongoing case, the Commission has also directed Meta to strengthen measures preventing children under the age of 13 from accessing its platforms.
The latest action underscores the EU's increasingly aggressive approach to regulating Big Tech, with further measures expected as European leaders consider broader restrictions on teenage access to social media.
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