Meta faces EU pressure to change Facebook and Instagram feeds
EU regulators preliminarily found Meta breached the Digital Services Act over design features they say can harm users’ wellbeing.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
EU regulators have preliminarily found that Meta violated the Digital Services Act through design choices on Facebook and Instagram that they say can keep users scrolling. The finding could force changes to both apps and expose Meta to a penalty worth up to 6 percent of its annual global revenue.
The European Commission said Meta failed to properly assess risks tied to what it called the “addictive design” of the two services. According to the Commission, those risks affect users’ physical and mental wellbeing, including minors and vulnerable adults.
Regulators pointed to personalized recommendations, autoplay and endless scrolling as features that can push people to continue using the apps. The Commission said those tools encourage users to keep scrolling and can move their behavior into an “autopilot mode.”
The preliminary findings also challenged Meta’s safeguards. According to the Commission, time-limit tools are easy for users to dismiss, parental controls can demand too much time and technical ability from parents, and mental health awareness measures do too little to reduce the risks it identified.
Possible app changes
The Commission said Meta may need to redesign Facebook and Instagram if the findings are confirmed. Regulators suggested that Meta could turn off autoplay and infinite scroll by default, add more effective breaks for screen time and make its recommendation systems less focused on engagement.
The case began in May 2024, according to the European Commission. Regulators are also examining Meta’s age verification systems and the protections it offers minors from certain types of content.
Meta will have a chance to respond before the Commission reaches a final decision. If regulators confirm non-compliance, the Digital Services Act allows fines of up to 6 percent of a company’s worldwide annual turnover.
Meta reported 2025 annual revenue of $200.97 billion in its full-year results. Based on that figure, a maximum DSA penalty would be about $12 billion.
Broader scrutiny
The EU action comes as officials consider a blocwide ban on social media use by people under 16, according to The Guardian. The Guardian reported that the European Commission is expected to deliver a report on that issue next Monday.
Meta is also facing legal pressure in the United States. The Verge reported that a trial is scheduled for August over allegations that Meta’s apps are intentionally addictive, with four states reportedly seeking combined penalties of as much as $1.4 trillion.
Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s tech policy chief, said social media platforms must treat Europeans’ physical and mental health as a priority. She said the DSA gives regulators a framework to hold platforms responsible for addictive design and its effects, and that the Commission is committed to enforcing the law in Europe.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.