The European Union has accused social media giant Meta of violating the bloc’s technical rules, and threatened to impose hefty fines if it doesn’t change the “addictive design” of Facebook and Instagram.
The revelations were made in the preliminary findings of an EU investigation launched in 2024 to look into the US-based company’s practices specifically regarding the safety of children. Brussels had already issued a similar warning to TikTok in February.
It’s part of EU-wide efforts to force Big Tech to better protect its users.
What are the EU’s charges against Meta?
The European Commission said Meta had failed to properly assess the addictive risks posed by some features of its popular social media platforms.
It argues that features like highly personalized recommendations, autoplay, and infinite scroll constantly provide users with new content, making them more likely to stay on apps longer.
The Commission found that Reels and Stories, various video-sharing formats offered by Facebook and Instagram, could lead to excessive or compulsive use.
Brussels also found META measures inadequate to mitigate such risks. It states that while time management tools may be easily dismissed, parental controls require significant time, effort, and technical knowledge to be effective.
In April, the EU also accused Meta of failing to prevent children under 13, the minimum age to use Facebook and Instagram in the EU, from using the platforms.
To avoid heavy fines, the Commission said Meta must:
- Disable features like autoplay and infinite scroll by default
- Introduce effective screen-time breaks
- Make its recommendation system less focused on driving engagement
“Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms,” EU technology chief Hanna Virkkunen said in a statement.
How did the meta react?
Meta rejected the EU’s accusations, saying they do not recognize steps taken to protect teenagers.
“Since this investigation began, we’ve introduced teen accounts that automatically protect teens and put parental controls in place — allowing them to block access to Instagram at night and limit daily screen time to just 15 minutes,” Meta spokesperson Ben Walters said.
It vowed to continue to engage constructively with EU regulators.
“We share the European Commission’s commitment to providing safe, positive online experiences for teenagers and will continue to engage constructively with them,” Meta said in a statement.
what happens next?
If Meta fails to comply, it faces fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The tech giant may respond to the allegations before a final decision is issued in the coming months.
“Our starting point is that, based on our findings, this design is too addictive and needs to be changed,” Virkkunen, the EU’s technology chief, told Reuters. “The next step is for META to either change its design or a non-compliance decision will be taken.”
Last month, Meta failed to refute claims from 29 US state attorneys general that its Facebook and Instagram platforms are addictive to children.
Friday’s findings come ahead of Monday’s EU session, where a panel of experts is due to offer recommendations on how the bloc can better protect children from inappropriate content online.
The bloc is considering banning social media for children, similar to the one imposed in Australia late last year.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
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