The European Union has officially warned Meta to change the addictive design elements on Facebook and Instagram or face fines. According to the European Commission, Meta's use of features like infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and personalized recommendation algorithms violates the Digital Services Act. These elements are said to encourage compulsive use by making users engage in prolonged scrolling and shifting their attention into an “autopilot mode,” negatively impacting their mental and physical well-being.

The Commission highlighted that Meta failed to properly evaluate the risks posed by these design features, especially to vulnerable groups such as minors. They emphasized that despite evidence about excessive nighttime usage by minors and features like Reels and Stories promoting compulsive use, Meta’s current mitigation efforts have not been effective. Tools designed to help users manage their time on the platforms can be easily bypassed and have not succeeded in meaningfully reducing usage.

To comply with the EU’s demands, Meta would need to disable key features like autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introduce effective screen-time breaks, and adjust its recommendation algorithms to reduce engagement-focused content. Meta will have a chance to respond to the findings before any final decision is made, but if confirmed, the company could be fined up to 6% of its global annual revenue.

This action marks the EU’s second criticism of Meta in 2026; earlier in April, regulators found Meta was not adequately protecting children under 13 from using its platforms. Meanwhile, Meta is also facing scrutiny in the U.S., where states are pursuing $1.4 trillion in penalties over allegations that the company designed its products to addict young users and misled the public about platform safety. Meta has not yet commented on the current EU investigation.