The endless scrolling of the feed, auto-play videos, push notifications, and recommendation algorithms have come under fire. Brussels believes that these features keep users in the apps, put them on “autopilot,” and encourage them to spend more and more time on the services.
The regulator is most concerned about the impact of these mechanisms on children and adolescents, Euronews notes.
“Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms,” said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy.
The investigation began in May 2024. Based on its findings, the European Commission stated that Meta failed to adequately assess the health risks to users, particularly minors and other vulnerable groups.
According to the regulator, the company also failed to account for how much time teenagers spend on Facebook and Instagram at night and did not assess the impact of Reels and Stories, which can lead to excessive or compulsive content consumption.
The European Commission was also unconvinced by the existing protective measures. Screen time limits—including those automatically enabled for teenagers—are easily circumvented and do little to reduce the time users spend on the apps. According to Brussels, parental controls remain effective only for those willing to navigate the settings and spend time doing so.
The European Commission is now demanding changes to the architecture of both platforms. Among the proposals are disabling infinite scrolling and auto-play videos by default, implementing more effective screen time limits, and revising recommendation algorithms so that they encourage less engagement.
These are only preliminary findings so far. Meta will be able to review the investigation materials and submit its objections before a final decision is made.
If the violations are confirmed, the company could face one of the largest fines in the history of the DSA’s enforcement. The maximum penalty is 6% of global annual revenue. Meta’s revenue for 2025 totaled nearly $201 billion.
