EU Demands Meta Change Facebook and Instagram to Curb Addiction Risks

The European Union is intensifying pressure on Meta to alter how Facebook and Instagram operate, citing concerns that the platforms are designed to encourage addictive behavior. The European Commission highlighted features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, and personalized recommendations, which they argue lead users to consume content almost automatically. Preliminary findings from the investigation indicate that Meta failed to adequately assess the health and mental risks of these design elements, especially for children and teenagers.

The EU also criticized Meta's parental control tools as overly complex and easy to bypass. Should the investigation conclude that Meta violated the Digital Services Act, the company could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue. Meta has rejected these claims, stating that the findings do not reflect the measures it has already implemented to protect young users. The company affirmed it will continue cooperating with the European Commission.