Meta is facing fresh pressure in Europe after regulators said Instagram and Facebook may have breached the European Union’s Digital Services Act by failing to address addictive design risks tied to features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, reels and stories.
EU Targets Infinite Scroll and Autoplay
The case focuses on product features that keep users moving from one post or video to the next.
The Guardian reported that the European Commission cited Facebook and Instagram features such as video autoplay and infinite scroll, saying they can shift the brain into autopilot mode and contribute to unhealthy habits and compulsive use.
The concern is especially focused on younger users. EU officials said Meta had disregarded available information about the time children spend on Instagram and Facebook at night and how reels and stories could lead to excessive or even compulsive use of the services.
The European Commission said the Digital Services Act requires very large online platforms to identify, assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to their services, including risks affecting minors.
Meta Also Accused Over Under-13 Access
The addictive design findings sit alongside a broader child-safety case against Meta. EU officials also said Meta had broken EU law and its own terms and conditions by failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram. Meta’s measures did not appear sufficient to identify, assess and mitigate the risks of minors under 13 accessing Instagram and Facebook.
That finding matters because Meta’s own rules set 13 as the minimum age for Facebook and Instagram. If children below that age can still enter the platforms by bypassing age checks, EU regulators may argue that Meta’s safety systems are not only weak but structurally ineffective.
Possible Design Changes and Penalties
Regulators are not only asking Meta to defend its current systems. They are pushing for design changes that could alter how Instagram and Facebook work in Europe. EU officials want Meta to change the design of Instagram and Facebook by scrapping autoplay and infinite scroll as default settings, implementing screen breaks and changing its algorithm so users are offered less personal content.
The financial risk is also significant. If the findings are confirmed, Meta could be fined up to 6% of its total annual turnover.
CNBC also reported that Meta’s Instagram and Facebook designs were found to breach EU law, placing the company under renewed regulatory pressure in Europe.
Meta Can Still Defend Itself
The case is not yet final. The European Commission said preliminary findings do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation and that Meta has the right to examine the file and respond in writing. Meta has the right to mount a defence and examine the Commission’s investigation files.
Meta has previously defended its youth-safety work. The company has said it spent more than a decade developing more than 50 tools and policies designed to protect young users and wants young people to have safe, age-appropriate experiences.
EU Child Safety Debate Intensifies
The case comes as Europe weighs tougher rules for children’s access to social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU must consider a “social media delay” and asked whether social media should have access to young people. At least 10 EU member states, including France, Italy and Spain, are drawing up plans for a social media ban.
The Meta case could become a major test of whether the EU can force social platforms to redesign features that regulators believe encourage compulsive use. For Meta, the fight is about defending product design and youth-safety systems. For Brussels, it is about proving that the Digital Services Act can reach beyond illegal content and into the architecture of attention itself.
