The Commission considers, on a preliminary basis, that the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook infringes the Digital Services Regulation

The European Commission has reached a preliminary conclusion that Meta has breached the Digital Services Act due to the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook. The investigation focuses on features such as ‘infinite scroll’, ‘autoplay’, ‘push’ notifications, and the platforms’ highly personalised recommendation systems.

The Commission’s investigation indicates that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks posed by its addictive design to the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults. The evidence also shows that Meta’s current mitigation measures have failed to effectively address the risks arising from its addictive design.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: “Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms. The Digital Services Act sets out a clear framework for holding platforms accountable for the addictive design and effects of their services. We are fully committed to enforcing our legislation across Europe.”

More information: European Commission.