Facebook and Instagram’s ‘addictive design’ may violate European law, EU Commission finds

The European Commission has demanded that Meta make substantial changes to Facebook and Instagram to address their “addictive design.”
It identified several features of the apps, like autoplay, infinite scrolling, personalized recommendations, and push notifications, which could harm users’ physical and mental wellbeing.
The commission found Meta has not adequately warned users of these risks and may be violating the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The findings follow rulings in the US regarding Meta’s intentional addiction to, and harm of, young users and an emerging global trend to restrict young people’s access to social media.
Meta disagrees with the commission’s preliminary findings and highlighted their steps to protect teens, including Teen Accounts, but the commission still advises disabling addictive features and adjusting the recommender system accordingly.
If Meta is found in violation of the DSA, it could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue, potentially exceeding $12 billion based on last year’s earnings.

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