EU threatens Meta with fines over addictive features on Facebook and Instagram

The EU announced on Friday that Meta must overhaul Facebook’s and Instagram’s addictive design features or face a fine. The tech giant is in breach of the Digital Services Act by focusing on features like infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendation algorithms, the European Commission said. The Commission says these features fuel the user’s urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into “autopilot mode,” which contributes to unhealthy habits and compulsive use. It found that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks posed by the addictive design of its platforms to users’ physical and mental wellbeing, including minors and vulnerable adults. The Commission also accused Meta of ignoring evidence about the amount of time minors spend on Instagram and Facebook at night and how features such as Reels and Stories could encourage excessive or compulsive use of the platforms. “Evidence also shows that Meta’s current mitigation measures failed to effectively tackle the risks stemming from its addictive design,” the Commission wrote. “For example, Instagram’s and Facebook’s time management tools, including those activated by default for teens, can be easily dismissed and do not lead to a meaningful reduction and control of the usage of the service.” It’s calling on Meta to disable key addictive features, such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, and to introduce effective screen-time breaks, as well as modify its recommendation algorithm to make it less focused on user engagement. The findings are not final, and Meta will now have the opportunity to review the evidence against it and submit a formal response. If the Commission’s findings are confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover. Meta did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. Friday’s announcement marks the second time this year that the EU Commission has found Meta of breaching its laws. In April, the Commission found that Meta was failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram. Meta has also been facing scrutiny in the U.S. for failing to protect young users on its platforms. Most recently, Meta said in a court filing on Monday that four U.S. states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over claims that the tech giant designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users and that it misled the public about the platforms’ safety. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University. You can contact or verify outreach from Aisha by emailing aisha@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at aisha_malik.01 on Signal. November 4 Boston Last chance to save up to $190 on TechCrunch Founder Summit. Join 1,000+ founders and VCs at all stages for real-world scaling insights and connections that move the needle.Savings end June 26, 11:59 p.m. PT. Most Popular Instagram users: Here’s how to stop Meta’s AI from using your photos Lauren Forristal Figma acquires team behind a vibe-coding app Ivan Mehta Reddit is using LLMs to solve a problem LLMs largely created Amanda Silberling Amazon will stop accepting new customers for Mechanical Turk Anthony Ha 5 desk gadgets that can make your workday better Aisha Malik New Google commercial imagines a Declaration of Independence written with help from AI Anthony Ha