EU Prepares Findings Accusing Meta of Addictive Design for Young Users
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 23
EU Prepares Findings Accusing Meta of Addictive Design for Young Users
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 23
Summary
The European Commission is preparing preliminary findings that would accuse Meta’s Facebook and Instagram of using exploitative features to keep children and teenagers engaged.
The move would escalate the EU’s probe into whether Meta’s product design is addictive for young users, adding fresh regulatory pressure on the US social media company.
No announcement date has been set, according to people familiar with the matter, and the findings have not yet been made public.
Can Meta's platforms ever be safe for kids if addiction drives its profits?
Will making platforms less 'addictive' also make them less useful for their millions of users?
Europe’s Digital Services Act in Action: Meta and TikTok Face Landmark Proceedings Over Child Safety and Addictive Design
Overview
The European Commission has ramped up its regulatory actions this year, focusing on the addictive design of social media platforms like Meta and TikTok under the Digital Services Act. This intensified scrutiny aims to protect children from harmful platform features, reflecting growing concerns about child safety and social media addiction across Europe. Formal proceedings have begun against Meta, targeting Instagram and Facebook, after regulators found major shortcomings in how minors are protected. Meta’s reporting tools for underage users are seen as ineffective, and the company often fails to act on reports, prompting a potentially lengthy legal battle that could force significant changes to its platforms.