EU Threatens Meta ‘Addict’ With Facebook And Instagram Punishment

The European Union has warned that Meta must change Facebook and Instagram’s “addictive” design or face severe fines.

In its preliminary findings, the European Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, auto-playing videos and personalized recommendations could encourage “compulsive use”, especially among children and teenagers.

If Meta does not make suitable changes, it could be fined up to 6% of its total global annual profits.

A spokesperson for the tech giant told the BBC it disagreed with the findings, which “do not take into account the significant steps we have taken to protect young people”.

In its preliminary findings, the commission said the endless stream of content “shifts the mind into autopilot mode and contributes to unhealthy habits.”

He is particularly concerned about the impact of social media platforms on younger users.

“Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms,” ​​EU technology chief Hena Virkkunen said in a statement.

The commission said Meta failed to adequately assess the way Facebook and Instagram were designed and the potential risks of how much time children spend on the platforms, especially at night.

He raised concerns about features like reels and stories, saying they could contribute to overuse, and said meta safeguards don’t go far enough.

Time management tools on Facebook and Instagram, including those enabled by default for teenagers, may be dismissed and do not meaningfully reduce usage, the commission said.

And he’s also criticized Meta’s parental controls, arguing that they’re only effective if parents have the time and technical know-how to understand and use them properly.

But Meta said, “I’ve rolled out Tin Accounts that automatically protect teenagers and monitor parents — so they don’t go on Instagram at night and save just 15 minutes of screen time every day.”