EU says Instagram and Facebook features breach rules, risk fines

The European Union has formally accused Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, of designing its popular social media platforms to be addictive, potentially leading to substantial fines under the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA). In preliminary findings released Friday after a two-year investigation, the European Commission stated that Meta has failed to adequately assess the risks Instagram and Facebook pose to users' physical and mental well-being. The commission specifically cited features such as autoplay videos, personalized recommendations, and infinite scrolling as elements that can shift users' brains into "autopilot mode." This, the EU argues, contributes to unhealthy habits and compulsive usage patterns. The bloc is demanding that Meta implement design changes to curb this "compulsive use." Key recommendations include disabling "key addictive features" and amending default settings to turn off infinite scrolling and video autoplay. The EU also suggested that the platforms' algorithms should offer users less personalized content. Meta has expressed disagreement with the EU's preliminary conclusions, with spokesperson Ben Walters stating that the company has already taken "significant steps to protect teens." However, the European Commission has warned that Meta could face fines of up to six percent of its annual turnover if it does not comply with the bloc's regulations. A final decision is expected within a few months, during which Meta can present its response.

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When it loses and it is forced to change its business model, the consequences will be very significant in terms of turnover.