Sunday, June 12, 2026 -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 maximize engagement.
The Commission raised concerns over functions such as
infinite scrolling, highly personalized 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.
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