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The European Commission on Friday accused Meta of engineering Facebook and Instagram to encourage prolonged, compulsive use and urged the company to switch off features that drive constant scrolling. The action comes under the EU’s new Digital Services Act and could force product changes across the platforms or lead to substantial fines.
What the EU found
In preliminary findings issued as part of a formal probe, Brussels says Meta did not adequately evaluate the risks its interface poses to users’ mental and physical well‑being — especially to minors. Regulators pointed to features that keep people continuously engaged, arguing those mechanics make it simple to lose track of time and are therefore a public‑health concern.
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The commission highlighted that although Facebook and Instagram offer tools intended to limit use, those controls can be dismissed or are difficult for many parents and users to apply effectively. In short: the safeguards exist but regulators concluded they are not strong or usable enough to prevent harmful overuse.
Changes the EU wants
Brussels told Meta it must change how certain elements behave by default rather than relying on users to opt out. Among the recommendations in the preliminary report:
- Turn off autoplay for videos and make it a user choice to enable, rather than a default.
- Disable infinite scroll so feeds do not continue automatically without a conscious user action.
- Improve parental controls so they cannot be easily overridden and require less technical know‑how to use.
- Introduce clearer prompts and mechanisms that encourage regular breaks from screens.
- Reduce the emphasis of the recommendation systems on pure engagement metrics and explore alternatives that limit compulsive consumption.
Those changes are intended to curb what regulators described as product design that nudges users into “compulsive” or automatic browsing patterns and to better protect children and teens from excessive exposure.
What’s at stake for Meta
If the commission’s final decision upholds the preliminary conclusions, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. Beyond monetary penalties, regulators say they expect tangible product adjustments inside the EU — and possibly beyond, if Meta chooses to apply uniform changes across markets.
Meta has a chance to reply to the draft findings before a final ruling. In response to the EU action, the company pointed to recent measures aimed at younger users, saying it has rolled out dedicated teen accounts and parental controls that can limit night‑time access and set daily caps.
Meta emphasised its commitment to safer experiences for adolescents and said it will continue to engage with the commission as the process moves forward.
Context and next steps
Brussels opened the probe in 2024 after raising concerns that the platforms were not doing enough to protect children. Earlier this year EU regulators also said Meta had not sufficiently prevented children under the company’s stated minimum age from creating accounts or ensured the removal of underage profiles.
Regulators now await Meta’s formal response. The investigation’s outcome will shape what kinds of defaults and interface choices are acceptable under the Digital Services Act and could set a precedent for how design decisions are regulated across major social networks.
Why this matters now: With policymakers increasingly focused on the health impacts of digital platforms, the EU’s move signals a willingness to regulate product design itself — not only content moderation — which could influence how social apps behave worldwide.
