EU targets Meta over addictive Instagram and Facebook design

The European Commission on Thursday said Instagram and Facebook likely breach the European Union’s Digital Services Act because their default design can keep users online longer than they intend. The Commission said Meta can examine the file and defend itself before any final ruling, but its findings focus on product features regulators want changed: autoplay, infinite scroll, screen-time breaks and a recommender system that pushes engagement over anything else.

Officials are treating those features as child-safety and mental-health risks, especially for minors and young people, and say the platforms’ current setup does not adequately assess or reduce those harms. Meta could be forced to redesign parts of Instagram and Facebook for Europe, changing the way posts, reels and recommendations work at the default setting rather than leaving users to switch protections on themselves.

In April, the Commission said Meta had failed to prevent children under 13 from accessing Instagram and Facebook, saying age checks were not effective and that a child could enter a false birth date without meaningful verification. In October 2025, Brussels said Meta and TikTok had failed to give researchers adequate access to public data under the DSA, while Meta separately faced criticism for not providing simple enough tools to report illegal content or challenge moderation decisions. The DSA allows fines of up to 6 percent of a company’s global annual turnover if non-compliance is confirmed. Meta’s 2025 revenue of about $201 billion would put that theoretical maximum above $12 billion. Meta has rolled out Teen Accounts, which it says automatically protect teens, let parents block access at night and cap daily screen time at 15 minutes.