EU set to accuse Meta of addictive design on Instagram, Facebook

EU Escalates Meta Probe Over Addictive Design Targeting Kids

The European Commission is preparing to issue preliminary findings accusing Meta of using exploitative design techniques on Facebook and Instagram that keep young users hooked, according to Bloomberg News. The move would mark a new front in an ongoing Digital Services Act investigation first opened in May 2024, expanding from age verification failures to the platforms’ core architecture.yahoo

From Age Checks to Addictive Architecture

The expected escalation follows a pattern the Commission established earlier this year. In February 2026, regulators issued their first-ever preliminary findings targeting addictive design, accusing TikTok of deploying features like infinite scrolling, autoplay, and highly personalized recommendation systems that shift users into what the Commission described as “autopilot mode”. The Commission told TikTok that incremental adjustments would not suffice — the platform’s core design would need to be restructured.schjodt

In April, the Commission turned its attention to Meta, issuing preliminary findings that Facebook and Instagram were failing to keep children under 13 off the platforms. Regulators found that roughly 10 to 12 percent of children under 13 in the EU were accessing Instagram or Facebook, and that Meta’s reporting tool for flagging underage accounts required up to seven clicks just to reach the form. Meta disputed those findings at the time, saying it had “measures in place to detect and remove accounts from anyone under that age”.cnbc

Now, applying the same addictive-design framework used against TikTok, the Commission appears poised to challenge features such as infinite scrolling and algorithmic “rabbit-hole” effects on Meta’s platforms — concerns regulators first flagged when opening the probe in 2024.semafor

Fines and a Broader Crackdown

If the preliminary findings are confirmed and Meta fails to address the Commission’s concerns, the company could face fines of up to 6 percent of its total global annual revenue. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called in May for action against “addictive and detrimental design practices,” previewing a forthcoming Digital Fairness Act that would codify broader restrictions.techcrunch

The regulatory pressure comes as Meta faces mounting legal exposure on both sides of the Atlantic. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a young user. Meanwhile, Reuters reported last week that Meta has been lobbying U.S. lawmakers for federal immunity from state-level child-harm lawsuits as part of negotiations around the Kids Online Safety Act.youtube