EU preliminarily finds Instagram and Facebook “addictive”

The European Commission has announced the findings of a preliminary investigation into Meta: according to its data, the company is in breach of the provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU's law on digital services.

The complaints concern the design of Instagram and Facebook, which the regulator has characterized as “addictive” for users.

What the inquiry established

According to European Commission representatives, Meta “failed to carry out a proper risk assessment” of how its apps are built and the impact they have on users.

This is a preliminary conclusion of the investigation, not a final one. Even so, it is already clear that the regulator considers the company's current approach to product design problematic from the standpoint of DSA requirements.

Possible consequences

If the findings are confirmed, Meta could be forced to change the design of Instagram and Facebook to bring them into compliance with European law.

The company also faces a fine — by some estimates, its size could reach 12 billion dollars. This underscores the seriousness of the regulator's complaints and the scale of the potential financial consequences for Meta.

Context

The Digital Services Act is one of the European Union's key instruments for regulating large online platforms. The law obliges companies to assess and mitigate the risks their services may pose to users, including the psychological impact of interfaces designed to hold attention.

The investigation into Meta is ongoing, and no final decision in the case has yet been made.

Source: The Verge