EU Orders Meta to Modify Addictive Features on Facebook and Instagram or Face Fines
The European Commission issued a preliminary order on July 10 directing Meta Platforms to modify several features on Facebook and Instagram over risks tied to addictive design. The investigation focused on three elements that regulators said combine to encourage compulsive use: highly personalized recommendations, autoplay, and infinite scroll. If Meta does not comply with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the company faces potential fines of up to 6% of its annual revenue.
What did the European Commission order Meta to do?
The European Commission issued a preliminary order on July 10 directing Meta Platforms to modify several features on Facebook and Instagram, citing risks tied to addictive design. If Meta does not comply with the DSA, the company faces potential fines of up to 6% of its annual revenue. The commission’s investigation found that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks its design choices posed to users, including minors and vulnerable adults.
What is the regulatory background?
The DSA, which took effect in August 2023, requires large online platforms to conduct risk assessments and take measures to address systemic harms. The European Union has been expanding enforcement of the law since then.
Commission investigators concluded that Meta violated its obligations by not properly evaluating how features such as autoplay and infinite scroll affect user behavior. “These features fuel the user’s urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into ‘autopilot mode,’ contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use,” the commission said in its press release.
The probe also found that Meta “disregarded available information about the time minors spend on Instagram or Facebook at night and how the optimization of its different formats, such as reels and stories, could lead to excessive or compulsive use of the services.”
Which features did the commission target?
The commission called for Meta to take several actions:
- Remove infinite scroll and autoplay.
- Introduce mandatory screen time breaks.
- Adjust recommendation algorithms to be less engagement oriented.
Investigators also criticized Meta for not using available data on nighttime use by minors to inform its risk assessments, and they flagged concerns about push notifications and highly personalized recommendation systems that prioritize content likely to keep users engaged.
The order is preliminary and subject to further proceedings, during which Meta can present its case before a final decision is rendered.
How has Meta responded?
Meta rejected the preliminary findings. “We disagree with these preliminary findings, which don’t accurately take into account the significant steps we’ve taken to protect teens,” a company spokesperson said.
The company pointed to its launch of Teen Accounts, a feature that gives parents the option to block their children’s access to Facebook and Instagram at night. Meta also highlighted existing parental controls and time management tools, though the commission argued these measures were insufficient given the underlying design of the platforms.
What is the financial and legal context?
The potential fine of up to 6% of annual revenue would be one of the largest penalties under the DSA to date. The bloc has previously imposed a $140 million fine on X and accused TikTok of similar addictive design violations.
Separately, Meta faces more than 2,400 U.S. lawsuits related to its design features. The company has also dealt with recent U.S. court losses, including a product liability trial in Los Angeles and a $375 million judgment in New Mexico over claims that its platforms harmed children’s mental health and enabled child sexual exploitation.
U.S. diplomatic engagement with Brussels over the DSA has intensified, with senior State Department officials describing the law as a form of censorship that unfairly targets American companies.
What happens next?
The preliminary findings remain subject to further proceedings, and Meta has the opportunity to present its case before the European Commission issues a final decision. If the order stands, Meta would be required to implement the changes within a set timeframe or face the maximum fine.
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who oversees DSA enforcement, has pushed for strict compliance. Similar actions against TikTok and X indicate that the commission intends to use the DSA as a tool to reshape the social media landscape across the bloc.
FAQ
What did the European Commission order Meta to change?
The commission issued a preliminary order on July 10 directing Meta to remove infinite scroll and autoplay, introduce mandatory screen time breaks, and adjust recommendation algorithms to be less engagement oriented on Facebook and Instagram.
How much could Meta be fined if it does not comply?
Meta faces potential fines of up to 6% of its annual revenue under the Digital Services Act if it does not comply with the preliminary order.
What has Meta said in response to the order?
Meta rejected the preliminary findings, with a spokesperson saying the commission did not accurately account for the steps the company has taken to protect teens, including Teen Accounts that let parents block nighttime access to Facebook and Instagram, along with existing parental controls and time management tools.