EU declares war on Meta's addictive Facebook and Instagram features

The European Commission has found that Meta is in breach of the Digital Services Act for the addictive designs it chooses to use on Instagram and Facebook to keep users hooked for hours. Specific aspects that the EU doesn’t like include infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the recommender system.

The Commission’s investigation into the matter is part of formal proceedings into Meta’s compliance with the DSA that were launched on May 16, 2024. In these preliminary findings, the Commission found that Meta has not adequately assessed the risks of addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults.

Here are the main findings of the investigation:

• Meta overlooked how addictive features like infinite scroll trap users
• These designs urge users to stay online by putting the user into autopilot mode, which promotes unhealthy habits and compulsive use
• Meta disregarded known data about excessive use of Instagram and Facebook at night by minors
• Meta failed to account for how optimizing specific formats like Reels and Stories can drive compulsive behavior
• Meta’s default time limits for teens can be easily dismissed and fail to meaningfully reduce screen time
• Parental controls fail because high technical expertise and significant time are needed to understand them
• The safety tips and mental health resources are buried too deeply, making them inadequate

To address these issues, the Commission believes that Meta needs to implement design changes in Instagram and Facebook. Changes it would like to see include disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, implementing effective screen time breaks, and changing the recommender system so it’s less engagement-oriented.

Meta now has the chance to submit a defense, but if the Commission’s findings are confirmed, it could issue a non-compliance decision, which can result in a fine of up to 6% of the total worldwide annual turnover.