The European Union on Friday warned Meta that it must make changes to the “addictive design” of Facebook and Instagram or risk facing a significant financial penalty.
Brussels accused the US-based technology company of failing to adequately reduce risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable adults, due to features designed to increase user engagement and keep people online for longer periods.
The EU highlighted features such as endless scrolling, personalised content feeds and automatic video playback as areas of concern.
“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 European Commission said in its preliminary assessment that Meta would need to introduce design changes to both Instagram and Facebook after finding that the platforms may have violated EU digital regulations.
Possible measures include turning off features such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing stronger screen-time reminders, and modifying recommendation systems to reduce their focus on maximising engagement.
Meta said it disagreed with the EU’s conclusions but would continue to “engage constructively” with European authorities.
If the EU’s concerns are confirmed, regulators could impose a fine of up to six per cent of Meta’s total global annual revenue.
A senior EU official said the bloc’s objective was not to penalise companies but to encourage improvements.
“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 EU’s findings come ahead of recommendations expected from an expert panel appointed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on protecting children from harmful online content.
Pressure has increased on European governments to introduce stronger restrictions for minors, with countries including France supporting possible EU-wide limits on children’s access to social media following Australia’s decision to ban social media use for under-16s.
The EU issued a similar warning to TikTok earlier this year, demanding changes to its platform design or facing potential penalties.
The investigation into Meta began in 2024 under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a major EU law aimed at regulating large technology companies and addressing online harms.
The European Commission said Meta’s existing screen-time management tools could be easily ignored, while parental controls required a certain level of technical understanding to be effective. It also criticised the company for not fully addressing concerns about children’s nighttime usage and the impact of features such as reels and stories on excessive or compulsive use.
Meta rejected the criticism, saying the EU’s assessment did not recognise the steps it had taken to protect teenagers. The company pointed to its introduction of teen accounts, which allow parents to restrict Instagram access at night and limit daily usage to 15 minutes.
The EU had previously accused Meta of allowing children under 13 to access Facebook and Instagram, potentially exposing them to unsuitable content.
The wider investigation is also examining the possible “rabbit hole” effect, where algorithms continuously recommend similar content that may push users towards increasingly extreme material.
Meta has faced similar criticism in the United States, where a court case this year found that platforms including Meta’s services and YouTube had contributed to harmful addictive behaviour among users.
