Commission preliminarily finds the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook in breach of the Digital Services Act
Today, the European Commission preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act for the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook. The investigation focuses on features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the platforms’ highly personalised recommender systems.
The Commission’s investigation indicates that Meta did not adequately assess the risks of its addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults. Evidence also shows that Meta’s current mitigation measures failed to effectively tackle the risks stemming from its addictive design.
Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen stated that: “protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms. The Digital Services Act provides a clear framework to hold platforms accountable for the addictive design and effects of their services. We are fully committed to enforcing our legislation in Europe.”
