EU tells Meta to change Facebook, Instagram's 'addictive design'
Meta must change the "addictive design" features of Facebook and Instagram or face a hefty fine, the European Union warned on Friday, accusing the US tech giant of failing to address risks posed by the platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable adults.
The European Commission said features designed to keep users engaged for longer periods — including endless scrolling, highly personalised feeds and automatic video playback — could contribute to excessive use and harm users' wellbeing.
"Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.
The warning comes as the European Union intensifies efforts to pressure major technology companies to strengthen online protections, especially for children.
In a preliminary assessment issued on Friday, the European Commission said it "considers that Meta needs to implement design changes to both Instagram and Facebook" after finding that the platforms breached EU content rules.
The commission said possible changes could include disabling features such as "autoplay" and "infinite scroll" by default, introducing effective screen-time breaks and modifying recommendation systems to make them less focused on maximising user engagement.
Meta said it disagreed with the findings but would continue to "engage constructively" with EU regulators.
If the commission's preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover.
A senior EU official said Brussels was not seeking to punish companies but wanted to encourage changes in their practices.
"We want to bring about change, and if we can get that change via commitments then we would be most happy," the official said.
Concerns over child protection
The findings come ahead of recommendations expected on Monday from an expert panel appointed by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on how the bloc can better protect children from harmful online content.
Von der Leyen is under pressure to act, with some EU countries, including France, pushing for EU-wide restrictions on social media access for minors following Australia's introduction of a ban for children under 16.
The EU issued a similar warning to TikTok in February, telling the company to change its design practices or risk substantial fines.
However, the senior EU official noted a "slight difference" with TikTok, saying Meta had "always tried to address minor protection online".
The EU launched its investigation into Meta in 2024 under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping piece of legislation introduced to strengthen regulation of major online platforms.
In Friday's findings, the commission said Facebook and Instagram's time-management tools could easily be dismissed, while parental controls were effective only when parents had sufficient technical knowledge.
It also said Meta had failed to properly address information about the amount of time children spend on its platforms at night and how features such as Reels and Stories could contribute to excessive or compulsive use.
Meta rejected the criticism, saying the EU's findings "don't accurately take into account the significant steps we've taken to protect teens".
The company pointed to Teen Accounts, a feature introduced after the investigation began, which allows parents to block access to Instagram at night and limit daily screen time to 15 minutes.
As part of the same investigation, the EU in April accused Meta of failing to prevent children under the age of 13 from using Facebook and Instagram, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content.
The broader probe is also examining the possible "rabbit hole" effect, where algorithms recommend increasingly similar content that can, in some cases, lead users towards more extreme material.
Meta has faced similar scrutiny in the United States, where a trial this year found that platforms operated by Meta and YouTube were harmfully addictive.