The European Union has told Meta it must change the design of Facebook and Instagram or face fines of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover, in preliminary findings released this week by the European Commission.
The Commission said features such as infinite scroll, autoplaying videos, and personalized recommendations could encourage compulsive use, particularly among children and teenagers. The findings described the endless stream of content as shifting "the brain into autopilot mode, contributing to unhealthy habits."
The Commission said Meta failed to adequately assess the risks posed by how Facebook and Instagram are designed, including how long children spend on the platforms, particularly at night. It raised specific concerns about features like Reels and Stories, arguing they could contribute to excessive use. The Commission also said Meta's time-management tools, including those enabled by default for teenagers, can be dismissed by users and do not meaningfully reduce usage. Parental controls, it added, are only effective if parents have the time and technical expertise to understand and use them.
"Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.
Meta pushed back. A spokesperson told the BBC the company disagreed with the findings, which it said "don't accurately take into account the significant steps we've taken to protect teens." The company said it had rolled out Teen Accounts that "automatically protect teens and put parents in control - allowing them to block access to Instagram at night and cap daily screen time at just 15 minutes."
The findings are not a final decision. Meta can review the evidence and submit a formal response. "We share the European Commission's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive online experiences and will continue to engage constructively with them," a Meta spokesperson said.
The action is part of a broader push by the EU to force large technology companies to better protect users online. The Commission's findings come ahead of recommendations expected Monday from an expert panel tasked with proposing new ways to shield children from harmful online content. The EU is also facing pressure from member states, including France, which has pushed for a social media ban for minors following Australia's move to restrict access for users under 16. The EU issued a similar warning to TikTok in February over comparable design concerns.
