EU tells Instagram, Facebook to change addictive features or risk fines
The Commission said Instagram and Facebook features can drive compulsive use and that Meta may face a fine capped at 6% of global annual turnover.
- On Friday, the European Commission preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act, citing Facebook and Instagram features that regulators say shift users into "autopilot mode" and fuel compulsive use.
- Investigators launched the probe in May 2024, finding that Meta disregarded data on nighttime teenage usage and failed to adequately assess risks posed by infinite scroll, autoplay, and recommendation algorithms.
- The Commission determined that existing time management tools are easily ignored, while parental controls require significant technical expertise to be effective. It demands Meta disable autoplay and infinite scroll by default.
- If confirmed, Meta faces a fine capped at 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover, potentially exceeding $12 billion based on 2025 revenue; the company can examine investigation files and respond before a final decision.
- Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, stated the Digital Services Act provides a clear framework to hold platforms accountable, following fines against Elon Musk's X and Chinese e-commerce giant Temu.
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EU tells Instagram, Facebook to change addictive features or risk fines
The European Commission wants Meta to turn off autoplay and infinite scroll by default, add effective screen-time reminders, and reduce the emphasis its recommendation system places on driving engagement
The European Union has accused Instagram and Facebook of violating the region's technology laws.
Meta faces 6% turnover fine as EU finds Instagram breach addictive design
Brussels says infinite scroll, autoplay and personalised feeds push users toward compulsive use. Meta can contest the finding before regulators rule on a fine. Continue reading this article on ppc.land. Sign up the PPC Land newsletter to get the latest marketing news.
EU demands Facebook and Instagram dismantle design features it calls addictive for users - WXXV News 25
By KELVIN CHAN The European Union accused Meta on Friday of breaching its social media law by designing Facebook and Instagram to get users hooked, and demanded it disable “key addictive features” like infinite scrolling. The EU’s executive arm issued a fresh set of charges against Meta Platforms as part of its investigation under the 27-nation bloc’s strict digital rule book known as the Digital Services Act. The sweeping set of regulations f…
European Commission says Instagram and Facebook's addictive design breaches the Digital Services Act
Today, the European Commission (EC) has announced that it has preliminarily found Meta in breach of the EU's Digital Services Act for what it calls "the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook". Specifically, its investigation focuses on features like infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the services' "highly personalized recommender systems". The EC's investigation indicates that Meta "did not adequately assess the risks of its…
The interview with Giusella Finocchiaro, lawyer and professor Unibo, after the preliminary conclusions of the EU on the algorithms of Facebook and Instagram: "Ma Bruxe...
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