EU Targets Meta Over 'Addictive' Design Features

The European Commission has preliminarily found that Meta's use of infinite scroll, autoplay, and personalized content recommendations are addictive, according to reporting from Ars Technica. The EC stated that Meta failed to adequately assess how these designs impact the mental and physical wellbeing of vulnerable adults and minors, noting that such features shift the brain into "autopilot mode."

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told Reuters that the EU is committed to enforcing the Digital Services Act to hold platforms accountable, suggesting Meta disable addictive features by default and make its recommender systems less engagement-oriented. Meta spokesperson Ben Walters told Reuters the company disagrees with the findings, pointing to the rollout of "Teen Accounts" that allow parents to cap daily screen time at 15 minutes. However, the EC countered that these measures are only effective if guardians possess the necessary technical expertise and time to manage them.

Failure to comply could result in fines reaching 6 percent of Meta's global annual turnover. Additionally, the EC is reviewing expert findings that could lead to a Europe-wide social media ban for teenagers.

These regulatory pressures arrive as Meta faces a lawsuit from 29 U.S. states. Reuters reports that if Meta is found guilty of addicting children, penalties could reach $1.4 trillion—a figure California Attorney General Rob Bonta told Reuters is appropriate because Meta prioritized profits over child safety. Such penalties could jeopardize Mark Zuckerberg's AI investments; The Information reports Zuckerberg has allotted between $125 billion and $145 billion for AI data center capital expenditures this year.