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The European Union (EU) warned Meta on Friday that the company must change the addictive designs of Facebook and Instagram or face massive financial penalties.
Brussels accused the US tech giant of violating EU content rules by failing to limit the risks its features pose to users, particularly children and vulnerable adults.
European regulators specifically targeted mechanisms like infinite scroll, highly personalised feeds, and automatic video playback, which deliberately maximise screen time.
In its preliminary findings, the European Commission stated that Meta must implement significant structural changes to both platforms.
The EU’s proposed remedies include disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, embedding mandatory screen time breaks, and reconfiguring recommendation algorithms to prioritise user well-being over raw engagement metrics.
If the regulator confirms these findings and Meta refuses to comply, the EU can levy a fine of up to 6 per cent of the company’s total worldwide annual turnover.
Meta expressed disagreement with the findings but pledged to continue engaging constructively with the bloc.
The company highlighted its recent launch of “Teen Accounts”—which allow parents to block nighttime access and cap daily usage at 15 minutes—arguing that the EU failed to recognise these protective steps.
However, the Commission countered that Meta’s current time-management tools remain too easy for children to bypass, while parental controls require too much technical knowledge to operate effectively.
This crackdown aligns with a broader EU campaign under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to curb the excesses of Big Tech companies.
European leaders face mounting pressure to shield minors online, with some member states pushing for total social media bans for minors.
The EU’s wide-ranging investigation into Meta will also continue to evaluate the dangerous “rabbit hole” effect, where algorithms systematically feed users increasingly extreme content to keep them hooked.
