Brussels .- The European Commission accused Instagram and Facebook this Friday of having an “addictive design” due to features such as their infinite scroll, automatic video playback, notifications, and “highly personalized” content that put at risk “the physical and mental well-being of users, including minors and vulnerable adults.”
The EU Executive considers that both social networks are violating the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires large tech companies to protect minors from the content they see online, and could fine Meta (its parent company) up to 6% of its global annual turnover if it does not correct the design of its platforms.
Brussels considers that the features of Instagram and Facebook “activate the brain’s ‘autopilot mode,’ which contributes to the creation of unhealthy habits and compulsive use,” it noted in a statement.
Time management tools
These are the preliminary conclusions reached by the Commission following the investigation it initiated in May 2024, for which it already accused Meta last April of not having effective measures to prevent children under 13 from accessing its platforms.
The Commission points out that Meta has not adequately assessed the risks of the “addictive design” of Instagram and Facebook, and therefore the measures it has in place to mitigate them are not effective.
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Specifically, he believes that Meta has ignored the available information regarding the number of hours minors spend at night on both social networks and asserts that the time management tools, including those activated by default for teenagers, can be “easily” disabled.
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The Community Executive considers that parental control tools “are only effective” if parents or guardians “possess the appropriate technical knowledge” and if they dedicate “time and effort” to understanding how they work.
Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans
Furthermore, Brussels states that the advice and links to mental health information that Meta makes available to users “do not appear to sufficiently mitigate the risk of addictive design” of Instagram and Facebook.
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“Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media,” noted the European Commission Vice-President in charge of digital policy, Henna Virkkunen.
Meta now has the opportunity to rebut the Commission’s allegations, but if Brussels is not convinced by the arguments and it does not correct the design of Instagram and Facebook, it could impose a fine of up to 6% of its total annual global turnover.
The latest measures that the European Commission has adopted against social networks have been directed against their addictive design, as in the case of TikTok, which it also accuses of the same thing, or the e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu, against which it has opened an investigation in this regard.
Meta defends its protection of minors
For its part, the US tech company Meta accused the European Commission of failing to take into account the “significant” actions it has taken to protect minors.
“We disagree with these preliminary findings, which do not accurately reflect the significant measures we have taken to protect teenagers,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
Specifically, the tech company points to Teen Accounts, which “automatically protect them” from the content they see and feature parental control tools that allow parents to “block access to Instagram at night and limit screen time to just 15 minutes per day.”
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The tech company stated that it shares “the European Commission’s commitment to providing teenagers with safe and positive experiences online” and promised to continue working with the institution “constructively.”
In another statement, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) said that the step taken by the European Commission is “encouraging” and urged it to “ensure” that Meta carries out “significant changes that prioritize the rights and interests of consumers.”
