The European Union has given tech giant Meta a stern warning: overhaul your platform’s addictive design elements, or brace for hefty fines.
According to the EU Commission, features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay on Facebook and Instagram are not just user-friendly—they’re manipulative. These tools are accused of turning users’ minds into autopilot mode, leading to unhealthy habits and compulsive use.
The Commission highlights Meta’s failure to adequately address the risks these addictive features pose to both physical and mental health, especially among minors and vulnerable adults. They argue that current mitigation measures—like default time management tools—are ineffective due to easy dismissal by users.
In response, the EU is calling for drastic changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing screen-time breaks, and modifying recommendation algorithms to decrease user engagement.
Despite Meta’s silence on the matter, this isn’t the first time they’ve faced criticism from the EU. Earlier in April, the Commission found that Meta was failing to safeguard children under 13 from unauthorized use of its platforms.
