New York —
The European Commission says Meta must make significant changes to Facebook and Instagram to address the “addictive design” of the social media platforms.
Features on the apps such as autoplay, infinitely scrolling feeds, personalized recommendations and push notifications could compromise users’ “physical and mental wellbeing,” the commission said in a statement Thursday. It found that Meta has failed to adequately address or warn users of those risks, and that it may be running afoul of the EU’s Digital Services Act.
The statement is the result of an investigation launched in 2024 into whether Meta is violating the DSA, the EU’s sweeping regulations for online platforms that went into effect the year prior.
The findings, which Meta disputes, follow rulings from two US juries this year that Meta has intentionally addicted and harmed young users — cases that focused on many of the same features. A number of countries, including some in the EU, are also moving to block young teens from accessing social media, after Australia implemented a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 last year.
