The European Commission has issued preliminary findings stating that Meta implemented addictive designs on Facebook and Instagram, in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigation, launched in May 2024, focused on features such as infinite scroll, autoplay video, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendation systems. According to the Commission, Meta failed to properly assess the risks these features pose to users' physical and mental well-being, including minors and vulnerable adults.
The Commission concluded that Meta did not consider how these features fuel the urge to keep scrolling, thereby contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use of social media. Specifically, formats like Stories and Reels were designed to prolong usage time without effective user control. Meta responded by stating it has taken significant steps to protect teens, such as introducing "Teen Accounts" that allow parents to block nighttime access and cap daily screen time to 15 minutes. However, the Commission deemed these measures insufficient.
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Current Mitigation Measures Fail to Address Addictive Design Risks
According to the Commission, time management tools for teens on Instagram and Facebook can be easily dismissed and do not lead to meaningful reduction in app usage. Parental controls, the Commission explained, are effective only if parents have a certain level of technical expertise or the time to learn them. "This undermines the efficiency of such measures in addressing the inherent risks posed by the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook," the document stated. The Commission's proposed solution includes major design changes: disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing "screen time breaks," and making algorithms less engagement-focused. Meta can contest the findings and will have access to the investigation files, but if the violations are confirmed, the company could face fines of up to 6% of its annual global turnover.
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This accusation comes amid broader regulatory scrutiny of digital platforms. Meta is already under watch for other practices, such as the recent growth of Meta Threads reaching 500 million monthly users, challenging Elon Musk's X. The Commission's decision could have ripple effects not only on Meta but across the social media industry, prompting other companies to rethink their interfaces. For further details, see the original report on Engadget.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2212152/meta-facebook-instagram-eu-addictive-design-finding
