European Commission challenges Meta over user wellbeing

The European Commission announced on Friday that it has reached a preliminary finding that Meta is in breach of the Digital Services Act due to the addictive design of its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

This investigation primarily targeted specific interface elements including infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the sophisticated, highly personalised recommender systems employed by the platforms.

According to the findings, the commission has determined that Meta failed to perform an adequate assessment of the risks its addictive design features pose to the physical and mental wellbeing of users.

This assessment failure extends to the impact on minors and vulnerable adults who engage with the platforms.

Further evidence collected by the commission indicates that the current mitigation measures put in place by Meta have been ineffective in tackling the risks stemming from these design choices.

“Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms,” said Henna Virkkunen, the Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

“The Digital Services Act provides a clear framework to hold platforms accountable for the addictive design and effects of their services,” she added.

“We are fully committed to enforcing our legislation in Europe,” Virkkunen continued.

The ongoing process aims to ensure that technology companies operating within the European Union prioritise user safety through better corporate governance and platform transparency.

This regulatory action highlights the commitment of the European Commission to enforce strict standards across digital services to mitigate systemic risks for all users.