Topline
The European Union ordered Meta to enact major design changes to its social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook, and to disable “addictive design” elements like infinite scroll and autoplay videos, or face large fines, in the bloc’s latest regulatory action against a U.S. tech platform under its Digital Services Act.
The EU’s investigation deemed certain Instagram and Facebook features like infinite scrolling as “addictive design.”
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Key Facts
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, said its investigation found Meta did not adequately assess the risks of its “addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults.”
The Commission highlighted Facebook and Instagram features like autoplay videos, infinite scrolling timelines and “highly personalized recommendations.”
This is a developing story.