European Union orders fixes to 'addictive' design of Facebook, Instagram
July 10 (UPI) -- The "addictive design" of Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms breaches EU digital law, Brussels said, with the European Commission warning the U.S. tech giant in a preliminary finding Friday that it could fine it as much as $12 billion.
The commission said in a news release that Meta needed to make changes including defeating default features it said were addictive, such as autoplay and "infinite scroll," and modifying the apps' recommendations to make them less about keeping users glued to their screens.
It said an investigation into the platforms showed Meta had failed to adequately take into account the dangers its addictive designs posed to the physical and mental health of users, including children and at-risk adults.
Meta's existing safeguards did not go far enough to mitigate those risks, including time management controls that could be easily side-stepped and did little to reduce time spent on the platforms and bring usage under control, the commission said.
Meta told CNBC it rejected the findings.
The commission accused the firm of taking no heed of studies and child experts regarding the amount of time minors were on Instagram or Facebook at night, and how various formats like reels and stories could result in them binging on screens.
It also criticized the firm's parental controls, saying their efficacy depended on parents and guardians having sufficient technical abilities and commitment to put in the time and effort to figure out how to properly deploy them.
Meta's separate "safety center" page providing tips on avoiding potential harm and sign-posting users to mental health resources also fell short of what was required to deal with the risks "inherent" in the apps' addictive design.
"Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms. 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," said Henna Virkkunen, EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
The commission said Meta had the right to mount a written defense to the findings, which are part of formal investigation proceedings launched in May 2024 into whether Meta was compliant with the DSA, but that if the breaches were proven it could impose a fine capped at 6% of Meta's total global revenue.
"We disagree with these preliminary findings, which don't accurately take into account the significant steps we've taken to protect teens. We share the European Commission's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive online experiences and will continue to engage constructively with them," a Meta spokesman said.
Meta said that in the two years since the launch of the investigation, it had introduced Teen Accounts it said protected teens automatically and enabled parents to block night-time use and set the maximum amount of time their children could spend in front of a screen each day.
Friday's announcement comes three months after the European Commission warned Meta over what it said was its failure to keep children younger than 13 off Instagram and Facebook and then, two weeks later, threatening to introduce a general social media ban for children.
No details were forthcoming on what age limits might be imposed.
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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 6:54 AM.