EU accuses Meta of making Facebook, Instagram ‘too addictive’; threatens fine worth 6% of global revenue

The European Union (EU) has accused social media giant Meta of breaching its landmark online safety rules, alleging that the design of Facebook and Instagram encourages addictive behaviour among users, particularly children and teenagers.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm and chief technology regulator, said on Friday that its preliminary investigation found Meta had failed to properly assess or mitigate the risks posed by features such as personalised recommendations, autoplay videos and infinite scrolling.

If the company fails to address the concerns, it could face fines of up to six per cent of its annual global turnover.

The findings are part of a two-year investigation under the Digital Services Act, which requires major online platforms to reduce the risks associated with harmful and illegal content while ensuring greater protection for vulnerable users.

According to the Commission, Facebook and Instagram’s recommendation systems, alongside reels and stories, are designed in ways that encourage excessive or compulsive use.

Regulators also criticised Meta’s existing safeguards, arguing that screen-time management tools can be easily ignored, while parental controls are too complex and time-consuming for many families to use effectively.

The Commission said Meta should disable autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, introduce meaningful screen-time breaks and redesign its recommendation algorithms to prioritise user wellbeing over engagement.

Meta, on the other hand, has rejected the allegations, insisting it has taken significant steps to protect younger users.

Company spokesperson Ben Walters said the findings did not reflect recent safety measures, including Teen Accounts, which automatically apply stricter protections, allow parents to restrict access to Instagram during night-time hours and limit daily screen time to 15 minutes.

European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen said the regulator’s assessment indicated that Meta’s platform design remained “too addictive” and required substantial changes.

She added that if Meta failed to comply, the Commission could proceed with a formal non-compliance decision.

The Commission is also conducting separate investigations into Facebook and Instagram’s recommendation systems and measures aimed at preventing under-13s from accessing the platforms.