EU says Meta breached digital services act over addictive design

The European Commission has preliminarily concluded that Meta may have breached the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to adequately assess and mitigate the risks posed by the allegedly addictive design of Instagram and Facebook, the Commission said on July 10.

The findings follow an investigation launched in May 2024 that examined whether features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and highly personalised recommender systems encourage compulsive use, particularly among minors and other vulnerable users, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the Commission, Meta did not sufficiently assess how these design features could affect users' physical and mental wellbeing. Investigators found the company failed to fully consider the impact of personalised recommendations, autoplay and infinite scroll, which continuously present new content and can encourage users to remain engaged for extended periods.

The Commission also said Meta overlooked available evidence on the amount of time minors spend on Instagram and Facebook at night, as well as the potential for formats such as Reels and Stories to contribute to excessive or compulsive use.

In addition to shortcomings in its risk assessment, the Commission said Meta's existing measures to reduce those risks are not effective enough. It pointed to time-management tools on Instagram and Facebook, including those enabled by default for teenagers, saying they can be easily dismissed and do not meaningfully reduce screen time.

The Commission also questioned the effectiveness of Meta's parental controls, arguing that they require significant technical knowledge and effort from parents and guardians. It added that awareness campaigns and links to mental health resources available through Meta's Safety Centre do not sufficiently address the risks associated with the platforms' design.

At this stage, the Commission believes Meta should introduce changes to both platforms, including disabling features such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing effective screen-time breaks and making recommendation systems less focused on maximising user engagement.

"Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms," Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen said.

"The Digital Services Act provides a clear framework to hold platforms accountable for the addictive design and effects of their services. We are fully committed to enforcing our legislation in Europe," she added.

The findings are preliminary and do not determine the final outcome of the investigation. Meta will have the opportunity to review the Commission's evidence and respond before a final decision is made.

If the Commission ultimately confirms its findings, it could issue a non-compliance decision and impose a fine of up to 6% of Meta's total worldwide annual turnover under the Digital Services Act.

By Sabina Mammadli