European Union orders Meta to revamp Facebook and Instagram's engaging but habit-forming features

The European Union has issued a stern warning to Meta, stating that the company must revamp the "addictive design" of Facebook and Instagram or face a substantial fine, with the EU citing the platforms' failure to mitigate risks to users, particularly children and vulnerable adults.

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The EU's concerns are centered around features such as endless scrolling, personalized feeds, and automatic video playback, which are designed to keep users engaged on the platforms for extended periods.

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EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized that protecting the physical and mental well-being of Europeans must be a top priority for social media platforms, highlighting the need for urgent action to address these concerns.

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The European Commission has concluded that Meta's platforms have breached EU content rules, and as a result, the company must implement design changes to both Instagram and Facebook, including potentially disabling features like autoplay and infinite scroll by default.

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Additional changes could include implementing effective screen time breaks and adapting the recommender system to make it less engagement-oriented, according to the European Commission's preliminary view.

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Meta has expressed disagreement with the findings but has stated that it will continue to engage constructively with the EU, despite the potential for a fine of up to six percent of the company's total worldwide annual turnover if the regulator's views are confirmed.

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A senior EU official clarified that the EU's goal is not to punish companies, but rather to bring about change, and if this can be achieved through commitments, then that would be the preferred outcome.

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The EU's warning to Meta comes ahead of an expert panel's recommendations on how to better shield children online from inappropriate content, which is scheduled to be delivered on Monday by a panel tasked by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

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Von der Leyen is facing pressure to take action, with some EU states, including France, pushing for bloc-wide bans on social media for minors, following Australia's ban for under-16s.

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The EU had previously issued a similar warning to TikTok in February, telling the company to change its design or risk facing massive fines, but a senior EU official noted that there is a "slight difference" with TikTok, as Meta has made efforts to address minor protection online.

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The EU's probe into Meta was launched in 2024 under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a content law that is a key component of the EU's efforts to curb Big Tech's excesses.

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According to the EU's findings, Facebook's and Instagram's time management tools can be easily dismissed, and parental controls are only effective if parents have some technical knowledge, highlighting the need for more robust protections.

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Meta has been accused of disregarding information about the time children spend on the apps at night and the potential for excessive or compulsive use of the services due to the optimization of its different formats, such as reels and stories.

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However, Meta has countered that the EU's findings do not accurately take into account the significant steps the company has taken to protect teens, including the launch of Teen Accounts, which allow parents to block access to Instagram at night and cap daily screen time at 15 minutes.

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The EU's investigation into Meta also found that the company had failed to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content, and is still examining the potential "rabbit hole" effects of the platforms' algorithms.

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Meta has faced similar scrutiny in the US, including a trial this year that ruled the company's platforms, as well as YouTube, were harmfully addictive.