Meta rejects EU finding that Facebook, Instagram use addictive design

Meta has pushed back on what the European Commission recently said about a preliminary finding that showed that Instagram and Facebook broke EU law with features built to keep users scrolling.

The finding, which was published on July 10 and looked into what the commission refers to as the “addictive design” of the two apps under the Digital Services Act (DSA), could expose the company to fines worth up to 6% of its global annual turnover and force design changes across both platforms.

Features like the infinite scroll, video autoplay, push notifications, and the platforms’ personalized recommender systems are being pointed out as part of the core problem. 

According to the Commission, these features “shift the brain into autopilot mode,” and it says that Meta failed to properly weigh their effect on users’ physical and mental health.

A Meta spokesperson stated that the company does not disagree with the regulators’ findings, including the conclusions about its teen accounts. However, the spokesperson also stated that Meta would keep working with the Commission on child safety. 

Meta has previously stated that it has put in more than a decade of work and built over 50 tools to protect younger users.

What the regulator says Meta got wrong

The investigation was started in May 2024 and focused on minors and vulnerable adults. The Commission found that Meta ignored what it knew about how long children stay on the apps late at night and about how formats like Reels and Stories can drive what it calls an “excessive or even compulsive use.”

The regulator added that the fixes Meta claims to have put in place did not hold up under review.

It also states that features such as time-management tools, parental controls, and screen-time awareness pages are too weak to offset features engineered for engagement.

A senior Commission official told journalists that the teen accounts Meta rolled out in the EU in 2024 did not meet the standard set by the DSA. The official also added that their default settings “can be easily dismissed” and that parents need to be experts to locate the controls at all.

Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, said, “The Digital Services Act provides a clear framework to hold platforms accountable for the addictive design and effects of their services,” adding, “We are fully committed to enforcing our legislation in Europe.”

Is this a preliminary charge or a verdict?

The EU has not made a decision or issued any penalty yet. Meta, on the other hand, can respond in writing, examine the Commission’s files, and try to refute the case before any penalty is set.

If the finding is confirmed, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its total annual worldwide revenue, alongside orders to change the products. The Commission wants autoplay and infinite scroll switched off by default, and screen breaks added. It also recommends that Meta rework its algorithm to serve less personalized content.

In April, the Commission said the company was failing to keep under-13s off Facebook and Instagram, and in October 2025, it accused Meta and TikTok of blocking researcher access to platform data. TikTok was separately found to be unlawfully addictive in February 2026.

Also, an expert panel convened by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present recommendations on social media limits for children by July 17. At least 10 member states, including France, Italy, and Spain, are already drafting their own rules.