The European Commission (EC) today accused Meta of violating its social media law by designing Facebook and Instagram to entice users to stay on the platforms longer, and ordered the disabling of “key addictive features.”
The EC accused Meta of these actions as part of an investigation under the Digital Services Act, which requires technology platforms to protect internet users, under threat of hefty fines.
The European Commission stated that Meta did not properly assess the risks that design features pose to the physical and mental health of users, including minors.
Although there are tools that help with the use of Facebook and Instagram, it is stated that they can easily be ignored or dismissed.
In its preliminary findings, the Commission stated that Meta “must implement design changes” on Instagram and Facebook, such as disabling “key addictive features” like auto-playing videos and infinite scrolling, so that they are not enabled by default.
Meta now has the opportunity to respond and defend itself before the Commission makes a final decision, which could amount to up to six percent of the company’s global annual revenue.
“Since the start of this investigation, we have introduced teen accounts that automatically protect them and give parents control—allowing them to block access to Instagram at night and limit daily screen time to just 15 minutes,” Meta said in a statement.
European officials claim that protecting the physical and mental health of citizens must be a priority for social networks.
The EC stated that the design features of Facebook and Instagram, including personalized recommendations and push notifications, provide an endless stream of content and encourage excessive and compulsive use.
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