EU threatens Meta with fines over addictive features on Facebook and Instagram

The European Union announced on Friday that Meta must fix addictive design features on Facebook and Instagram or face a fine. The European Commission said the tech giant was violating the Digital Services Act by focusing on features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, instant notifications and highly personalized recommendation algorithms.

The panel says these features feed the user’s desire to keep scrolling and shift the brain into “autopilot mode,” contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use. It found that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks posed by the addictive design of its platforms to the physical and mental health of users, including minors and vulnerable adults.

The panel also accused Meta of ignoring evidence about how much time minors spend on Instagram and Facebook at night, and how features like Reels and Stories can encourage excessive or compulsive use of the platforms.

“The evidence also shows that Meta’s current mitigation measures fail to effectively address the risks posed by its addictive design,” the panel wrote. “For example, time management tools on Instagram and Facebook, including those activated by default for teens, can easily be dismissed and do not significantly reduce service use and control.”

It calls on Meta to disable key addictive features, such as autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, and introduce effective screen time breaks, as well as tweaking its recommendation algorithm to make it less focused on user engagement.

The results are not final, and Meta will now have the opportunity to review the evidence against her and file a formal response. If the committee’s findings are confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6% of its total global annual sales.

Meta did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.

Friday’s announcement marks the second time this year that the EU Commission has found Meta in violation of its rules. In April, the committee found that Meta failed to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram.

Meta is also facing scrutiny in the United States for failing to protect young users on its platforms. More recently, Meta said in a lawsuit on Monday that four US states are seeking $1.4 trillion in fines over allegations that the tech giant designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users and that it misled the public about the safety of the platforms.