EU Tells Meta Get Rid Of "Addictive" Features On Facebook And Instagram

The European Union has issued an ultimatum to Meta Platforms, warning that the tech giant must overhaul the "addictive" design of Facebook and Instagram or face multi-billion-dollar fines.

In a set of preliminary findings announced on Friday, the European Commission accused Meta of breaching the bloc’s strict Digital Services Act (DSA). Regulators say core features like infinite scroll, autoplaying videos, push notifications, and hyper-personalized recommendations are intentionally designed to exploit human psychology. According to the Commission, these features trap users, especially teenagers and children, in a state of "compulsive use" that can effectively "shift the brain into autopilot mode, contributing to unhealthy habits."

If the preliminary findings are ultimately confirmed, the tech titan could hit a wall of catastrophic fines reaching up to 6% of its total global annual turnover.

The EU's executive arm argues that Meta failed to properly evaluate how its engagement-driven interfaces affect the physical and mental health of younger audiences. Brussels expressed particular worry over how much time children spend navigating Reels and Stories late at night, claiming that the platforms' existing safeguards fail to offer meaningful protection.

While Meta provides time-management settings and parental supervision features, the EU dismissed them as inadequate, noting that they are easily bypassed. European officials also criticized the complexity of the current system, stating that the tools are undermined because parents need significant time, effort, and technical skill to figure them out and manage them properly.

To remedy the issue, Brussels is demanding that Meta implement sweeping layout changes. The EU wants Meta to disable standard addictive mechanisms by default and re-engineer its algorithms so they don't exclusively prioritize viral engagement.

Meta Pushes Back

Meta was quick to reject the European Commission's characterization of its platforms, arguing that the bloc is completely ignoring the company's newest safety initiatives.

"We disagree with these preliminary findings, which don’t accurately take into account the significant steps we’ve taken to protect teens," a Meta spokesperson said.

The company pointed to its recently introduced specialized Teen Accounts as a primary line of defense. According to Meta, these updates "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 company added:

"We share the European Commission's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive online experiences and will continue to engage constructively with them."

The Global Backlash Against Big Tech

The charges mark the second major collision between Brussels and Meta recently. Earlier, the Commission determined that Meta failed to prevent children under its minimum age of 13 from establishing accounts and was too slow to purge underage profiles.

The pressure isn't just coming from Europe. Meta is battling parallel legal issues across the Atlantic, where two major U.S. court rulings concluded that the company's platform designs directly fueled youth mental health harms and misled the public regarding child safety.

The EU's latest crackdown arrives just ahead of an expert panel report tasked with finding new mechanisms to shield children from online dangers. With international momentum swinging toward extreme measures, such as Australia's total ban on social media for under-16s, the EU is feeling intense pressure to force immediate compliance from Silicon Valley.

Meta will now have the opportunity to formally review the EU's evidence and mount its legal defense before a final, binding decision is reached.