Lead

The European Union has formally accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive, warning that the company could face significant fines if it continues to breach the bloc's digital rules. On Friday, the European Commission published preliminary findings from a two-year investigation, concluding that Meta was in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The commission said it wants Meta to implement design changes to curb compulsive use, including disabling features such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default.

Coverage Comparison

The story was covered by Al Jazeera, France 24 (English), and The Guardian (World). All three outlets reported the EU's preliminary findings and highlighted the potential fine of up to six percent of Meta's total worldwide annual turnover. The reports agree on the core facts: the European Commission's investigation, the alleged failure to assess risks to users' physical and mental health, and the specific design features cited as problematic.

While the outlets shared a broadly similar framing, each offered slightly different emphases. Al Jazeera focused on the EU's accusation that Meta designed the platforms to be addictive, quoting a legal expert who noted that the violations "strike at the heart" of Meta's business model. France 24 emphasized the warning to Meta to change its design or face a heavy fine, and included a statement from EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen, who said protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms. The Guardian highlighted the additional finding that Meta had disregarded information about the time children spend on Instagram and Facebook at night, and noted that Meta has been contacted for comment.

Key Claims

  • The European Commission published preliminary findings on Friday from a two-year investigation into Meta, saying the company was in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
  • The EU alleged that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks that Instagram and Facebook pose to users' physical and mental health.
  • The commission cited features such as autoplay videos, personalized recommendations, and infinite scrolling, saying they "shift the brain into autopilot mode, contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use."
  • The commission called on Meta to change the default settings on Instagram and Facebook to disable infinite scrolling and video autoplay, and to make its recommender systems less engagement-oriented.
  • Meta could face a fine of up to six percent of its total worldwide annual turnover if the regulator's views are confirmed.
  • The Guardian reported that the commission said Meta had disregarded available information about the time children spend on Instagram and Facebook at night, and how features like reels and stories could lead to "excessive or even compulsive use."
  • The Guardian also reported that, in another strand of the investigation, the commission said Meta had broken EU law and its own terms of service by failing to prevent children under 13 from using its platforms.

Perspectives

Meta

Meta said it disagreed with the findings but would continue to "engage constructively" with the EU. The company has previously said it spent more than a decade developing tools and policies designed to protect young users and wanted young people to have "safe, age-appropriate experiences."

European Commission

The European Commission maintained that Meta's design features are harmful and in breach of EU law. A senior EU official insisted Brussels did not want to punish companies, saying, "We want to bring about change, and if we can get that change via commitments then we would be most happy." EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said, "Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms."