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Brussels says Meta failed to properly assess or mitigate risks posed by infinite scroll, autoplay, and more
Meta may have breached the European Union's Digital Services Act by designing Facebook and Instagram to keep users glued to their screens, with Brussels saying that features such as infinite scroll and autoplay should be switched off by default.
The European Commission on Friday published preliminary findings accusing the social media giant of failing to properly assess or mitigate the risks posed by what it describes as the addictive design of its platforms. The investigation centers on infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the highly personalized recommendation systems that determine what users see next.
The Commission argues that Meta underestimated the effect those features can have on users, particularly children and vulnerable adults. Its preliminary findings say recommendation algorithms, autoplay, and infinite scrolling encourage people to keep consuming content, nudging them into what the Commission calls "autopilot mode" and fostering unhealthy habits and compulsive use.
The Commission also says Meta ignored evidence showing how long minors spend on Facebook and Instagram at night, and failed to account for how products such as Reels and Stories could encourage excessive use.
Brussels was equally unimpressed with Meta's attempts to fix the problem. It found the company's time management tools, including those enabled by default for teenagers, "can be easily dismissed and do not lead to a meaningful reduction and control of the usage of the service."
It also questioned the effectiveness of Meta's parental controls, arguing they require too much technical knowledge and effort from parents to work as intended.
The Commission ultimately wants Meta to redesign both platforms, including disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing effective screen-time breaks, and making its recommendation systems less focused on maximizing engagement.
"Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms," said Henna Virkkunen, executive vice president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy at the Commission. "The Digital Services Act provides a clear framework to hold platforms accountable for the addictive design and effects of their services."
The findings are preliminary, and Meta will now have the opportunity to respond before the Commission reaches a final decision. If Brussels ultimately concludes that the company breached the DSA, it can impose fines of up to 6 percent of Meta's worldwide annual turnover, which comes in at approximately $12 billion.
The case adds to a growing push to rein in social media's impact on younger users. Earlier this year, outgoing prime minister Kier Starmer said the UK government was considering new measures “that will give us the ability to crack down on the addictive elements of social media, stop the auto-play, the never-ending scrolling, that keeps are [sic] children hooked on their screens for hours, and stop kids getting around age limits.”
Meta did not immediately respond to The Register's request for comment. ®
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