The European Union (EU) has told Meta that its social media platforms could be breaking the law. Officials say the company has made Instagram and Facebook too addictive, especially for young people.
The EU started looking into this back in May 2024. They were worried about how features like endless scrolling, videos that play automatically, constant notifications, and tailored content recommendations keep people glued to their screens. After months of investigation, the EU has now released its early conclusions. These findings say that Meta did not do enough to check how these features might harm users’ mental and physical health, particularly for children and vulnerable adults.
The EU argues that these deliberate design choices push people into bad habits. They make it hard to stop using the apps, even when users want to. The commission also pointed out that short video formats like Reels and Stories add to the problem.
Meta has pushed back against these claims. The company told CNBC that it disagrees with the EU’s early findings. It said the officials ignored the work it has already done to protect younger users since the investigation began. Meta mentioned its new Teen Accounts feature. This tool lets parents block app access at night and set a daily limit of 15 minutes for their children.
But the European Union is not convinced. Officials said these safety tools do not really solve the problem. Teenagers can easily ignore the time limits. And the parental controls only work if parents are tech-savvy or have enough free time to learn how to use them. The EU said this makes the measures ineffective against the risks.
The commission has clear demands. It wants Meta to change how its apps work by default. That means turning off auto-play videos and endless scrolling unless users choose to turn them on. It also wants the company to introduce regular screen time breaks and make its recommendation systems less focused on keeping people engaged.
Meta now has a chance to review the evidence and respond to challenge the findings. But if the EU confirms its decision, Meta could be looking at a fine of up to 6 percent of its yearly global income.