EU threatens Meta with fines over addictive design features

The European Commission said Friday that Meta must overhaul the addictive design features built into Facebook and Instagram or face a fine, after finding the company in breach of the Digital Services Act (the EU’s landmark online safety regulation for online platforms). The Commission’s findings center on a set of features:

• infinite scroll (content that continuously loads as users keep scrolling)
• autoplay (videos that begin playing automatically)
• push notifications
• highly personalized recommendation algorithms that personalize content feeds to maximize user engagement

Regulators said Meta failed to adequately assess the risks posed by the addictive design of its platforms to users’ physical and mental well-being, including minors and vulnerable adults. If the Commission’s findings are confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover (the company’s total yearly revenue). The findings are not yet final: Meta will have the chance to review the evidence and submit a formal response before any fine is imposed.

The Commission said these features fuel users’ urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into autopilot mode, contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use. It also accused Meta of ignoring evidence about the amount of time minors spend on Instagram and Facebook at night and how features such as Reels and Stories could encourage excessive or compulsive use of the platforms. “Evidence also shows that Meta’s current mitigation measures failed to effectively tackle the risks stemming from its addictive design,” the Commission wrote. It added that Instagram’s and Facebook’s time-management tools — including those switched on by default for teens — can be dismissed easily and do not lead to a meaningful reduction in, or control over, how much people use the services.

Friday’s finding marks the second time this year that the Commission has found Meta in breach of its rules: in April, the Commission found Meta failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram. Meta is also under legal pressure in the U.S., where Meta said in a court filing on Monday that four U.S. states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over claims that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users and that it misled the public about the platforms’ safety.

Why it matters

Meta is facing separate design-related actions in the EU and the U.S.: the European Commission’s finding could cost up to 6% of its global turnover, while four U.S. states are separately seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over claims that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users and misled the public about the platforms’ safety.