EU Investigates Instagram and Facebook for Addiction Risks

The European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, citing preliminary findings from a two-year investigation that suggest significant addiction risks for children and adolescents. The company is now required to respond to these allegations.

The Commission's criticism targets features such as endless scrolling, automatic video playback, and highly personalized recommendations. Notifications designed to bring users back to the platforms repeatedly are also considered problematic. The algorithms that determine content selection are assessed as being too heavily reliant on user interaction.

If Meta Platforms fails to sufficiently address these concerns or implement necessary changes, the European Commission could impose fines of up to six percent of the company's annual global turnover, potentially amounting to over 12 billion euros.

Previous measures by Meta, including time management tools and parental controls, are deemed insufficient by the Commission. The effectiveness of these features is questioned, especially when parental technical knowledge is limited. Proposed changes include disabling endless scrolling and auto-playing videos by default, implementing effective break reminders, and reducing interaction-driven recommendations.