EU Demands Meta Address Addictive Social Media Features
The European Commission expects Meta to propose concrete measures to address allegedly addictive design features on Facebook and Instagram for users in the European Union. The request follows the Commission’s preliminary findings under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which identified risks to children associated with features such as infinite scrolling, highly personalized recommendation systems, and video autoplay.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated that the Commission has continued discussions with Meta after the company reached a major settlement with U.S. states concerning teen safeguards. According to Regnier, the EU expects protections for minors that are at least as effective as those accepted in the United States, including meaningful screen-time controls and effective parental-control tools.
Meta reportedly agreed in the U.S. proceedings to safeguards including an automatic nighttime restriction and a cumulative two-hour daily cap across its applications for teenage users. The reported settlement value of up to USD 16.7 billion corresponds to approximately €15.4 billion, based on an indicative exchange rate of USD 1 = €0.92. The company has disputed the Commission’s preliminary DSA findings but has said it will engage constructively with the process.
The Commission may ultimately impose a fine of up to 6% of Meta’s worldwide annual turnover if the company fails to comply with a final DSA decision. Its investigation forms part of the DSA’s systemic-risk framework for very large online platforms, which requires providers to identify, assess, and mitigate risks affecting minors.
The wider policy debate is also developing. The Commission is considering further EU-level restrictions on minors’ access to social media, following calls by several Member States and policy developments in Australia. A Commission expert panel has recommended progressively stronger safeguards by age, including adult supervision for younger children and more autonomous access for teenagers only where services actively implement essential safety measures.
