The European Union warned on Friday that Meta must change the “addictive design” of Facebook and Instagram or risk a substantial fine.
Meta, Facebook and Instagram under EU scrutiny
Brussels says the US technology group has failed to reduce the risks its platforms pose to users - in particular children and vulnerable adults - because certain features are built to keep people on Facebook and Instagram. Areas of specific concern include infinite scroll, highly personalised feeds and the automatic playing of videos.
“Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms,” said the EU’s technology chief, Henna Virkkunen. In recent months, the European Union has stepped up efforts to force major technology companies to do more to protect people online, especially children.
In preliminary findings published on Friday, the European Commission said it “considers that Meta needs to implement design changes on both Instagram and Facebook”, after concluding that the platforms breached EU rules on content.
The Commission added that potential changes could include “disabling by default key addictive features such as ‘autoplay’ and ‘infinite scroll’, implementing effective ‘screen-time breaks’, and adjusting its recommendation system to make it less engagement-driven”.
Meta said it disagreed with the findings but would continue to “work constructively” with the EU. If the regulator’s position is upheld, the EU could impose a fine of up to 6% of the company’s total annual worldwide turnover.
A senior EU official told AFP that Brussels was not looking to punish firms, but to “promote change” - and that officials would be “very happy” if that change could be achieved through commitments.
Inadequate tools
The findings come ahead of a panel of experts, appointed by EU President Ursula von der Leyen, presenting recommendations on Monday on how the bloc can better protect children online from inappropriate content. Von der Leyen is under pressure to act, with some EU member states - including France - pushing for bloc-wide bans on social media for minors, following Australia’s pioneering ban for under-16s.
The EU issued a similar warning to TikTok in February, demanding changes to its design or facing the possibility of large fines. However, the official said there was a “slight difference” compared with TikTok, because “Meta has, in fact, always tried to address the protection of minors online”. The EU opened its Meta investigation in 2024 under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
This content-focused law is a key part of the EU’s strengthened toolkit adopted in recent years to curb what Brussels describes as the excesses of “Big Tech”.
In Friday’s findings, Brussels said Facebook and Instagram’s time-management tools can be easily bypassed, while parental controls are only effective if parents have a certain level of technical know-how, according to the Commission.
The Commission also said Meta failed to take account of information about the amount of time children spend on the apps at night “and how optimising its different formats - such as Reels and Stories - could lead to excessive or compulsive use of the services”.
Meta’s response and ongoing investigation
Meta said the EU’s conclusions “do not properly take into account the significant measures” it has taken to protect teenagers, pointing to an account type introduced since the investigation began. Meta said its “Teen Accounts” allow parents to block access to Instagram at night and cap daily usage at 15 minutes.
As part of the same investigation, the EU accused Meta in April of failing to stop children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content.
The wide-ranging inquiry is also examining the possible impact of the so-called “rabbit hole” - where users are served related content by an algorithm, which in some cases can lead to more extreme material - on the platforms.
Meta has faced comparable scrutiny across the Atlantic, including a US trial this year that found Meta’s platforms and YouTube to be harmfully addictive.
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