EU Charges Meta Over Addictive Design Features

The European Union charged Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, with breaching tech rules by designing features that pose risks to users' mental health. According to multiple reports, regulators targeted features like autoplay and infinite scroll, demanding changes or risk fines up to 6% of Meta's global annual turnover.

The European Commission's preliminary findings follow a two-year investigation under the EU's landmark Digital Services Act, which requires large online platforms to address illegal and harmful content. The Commission said Meta failed to adequately assess the addictive risks posed by highly personalized recommendations, autoplay, and infinite scroll, which encourage prolonged engagement.

The regulator criticized Meta's measures to mitigate these risks, stating that time management tools can be easily dismissed while parental controls require significant effort to use effectively. The Commission recommended disabling features like autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing effective screen-time breaks, and making the recommendation system less focused on driving engagement.

Meta spokesperson Ben Walters disagreed with the preliminary findings, highlighting steps taken to protect teens. Since the investigation began, Meta rolled out Teen Accounts that automatically protect teens and allow parents to block access at night or cap daily screen time at 15 minutes. The company also expressed its commitment to engaging constructively with EU regulators.

The charges against Meta mirror those brought against TikTok in February when regulators demanded similar changes to its app. The Commission is separately investigating so-called rabbit hole effects caused by Facebook and Instagram recommendation systems, where users can be drawn into prolonged viewing by algorithmic recommendations. In another case announced in April, the Commission told Meta to do more to prevent children under 13 from accessing its social networks or risk fines.

The EU's charges come as social media companies face growing scrutiny worldwide over concerns that their platforms contribute to a mental health crisis among children. Some governments are imposing or considering bans for underage users. The Commission is due to receive findings from experts on Monday, which could pave the way for a Europe-wide social media ban for teenagers that EU President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce in her September state of the union address.