EU tells Meta to change Facebook and Instagram’s ‘addictive design’ or face fines

The European Union has warned Meta that it must change what regulators describe as the “addictive design” of Facebook and Instagram or risk a substantial financial penalty under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

In preliminary findings released on Friday, July 10, the European Commission said Meta had failed to adequately reduce the risks its platforms pose to users, particularly children and vulnerable adults, because of features designed to maximise engagement.

The Commission raised concerns over functions such as infinite scrolling, highly personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback, arguing that they encourage excessive use of the platforms. EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans should be a priority for social media companies.

As part of its preliminary assessment, the Commission said Meta should introduce design changes to Facebook and Instagram, including disabling features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, introducing effective screen-time reminders and making its recommendation systems less focused on maximising user engagement.

Meta rejected the findings, saying it disagrees with the Commission’s conclusions but will continue to engage constructively with European regulators. The company said it has already introduced measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to limit screen time and restrict nighttime access. If the Commission’s preliminary findings are upheld, Meta could face a fine of up to six percent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.

The investigation, launched in 2024, also found that Facebook and Instagram’s existing time management tools can be easily bypassed, while parental controls require a level of technical knowledge that limits their effectiveness. Regulators further expressed concern over reports that Meta failed to adequately address children’s nighttime use of its platforms and the potential for content formats such as Reels and Stories to encourage compulsive usage.

The warning comes as the EU intensifies efforts to strengthen online protections for children. An expert panel commissioned by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present recommendations on improving children’s online safety, while several member states, including France, have advocated for an EU-wide social media ban for minors, following Australia’s decision to prohibit social media access for users under 16.

The Commission is also continuing a separate aspect of its investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by steering users towards increasingly extreme content.