The European Commission has announced that Meta must overhaul its Facebook and Instagram platforms to address concerns over addictive features, or risk facing fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The Commission claims that features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalised recommendation algorithms contribute to unhealthy habits and compulsive use, particularly among minors and vulnerable adults.
The Commission found that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks posed by the addictive design of its platforms, ignoring evidence about the amount of time minors spend on Instagram and Facebook at night. It also accused Meta of failing to effectively tackle the risks stemming from its addictive design, citing its time management tools as ineffective.
The European Commission is calling on Meta to disable key addictive features, such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, and to introduce effective screen-time breaks. It also wants Meta to modify its recommendation algorithm to make it less focused on user engagement.
Meta has been given the opportunity to review the evidence against it and submit a formal response. The findings are not final, but the Commission's announcement marks the second time this year that Meta has been found to be contravening EU laws.