EU Demands Meta Disable Addictive Instagram and Facebook Features for Child Safety

The European Commission is asking Meta to make Instagram and Facebook less compulsive by changing the products’ underlying design. The measures under scrutiny include infinite scrolling, autoplaying videos, push notifications and highly personalised recommendation systems—features the Commission says can encourage compulsive use, particularly among children and teenagers.

That is a broader intervention than simply imposing a daily screen-time cap. Although Meta’s proposed U.S. settlement includes a two-hour default limit for teenagers and blocks access from midnight to 6 a.m. without parental consent, the supplied evidence does not show that the Commission has formally ordered Meta to introduce those exact restrictions across the European Union. 27

What the EU wants Meta to change

The Commission’s preliminary position focuses on four connected parts of Facebook and Instagram’s design:

• Infinite scroll: feeds should not continually present new material without a natural stopping point.
• Autoplay: videos should not automatically begin playing in a way that encourages users to continue browsing.
• Push notifications: alerts that draw users back into the apps are part of the Commission’s investigation.
• Personalised recommendations: Meta’s recommender systems should be changed so that they are less focused on maintaining prolonged engagement.

The Commission said Meta had not adequately assessed or mitigated the risks that these features pose to users’ physical and mental well-being, including the risks to minors and other vulnerable users. Reporting on the preliminary findings says Brussels wants key addictive features disabled or switched off by default and has also called for less engagement-oriented recommendations and stronger screen-time breaks.

Why this differs from the U.S. settlement

Meta’s U.S. agreement addresses teen use with specific limits. It would restrict teenagers to two hours a day across Facebook and Instagram by default, block use from midnight to 6 a.m. unless a parent consents, introduce age-checking measures and disable most push notifications during school hours. 27

The agreement could require Meta to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years to resolve claims brought by U.S. states and territories that its platforms were designed to keep young users hooked. 26

The EU case is different in both legal basis and remedy. Under the Digital Services Act, the Commission is examining whether Meta properly evaluated and reduced systemic risks created by the platforms’ design. Its preliminary findings therefore point toward product and interface changes, rather than only a numerical limit on how long teenagers may use the apps.

The finding is preliminary, not a final penalty

The Commission’s July conclusion is a preliminary finding. It does not by itself establish a final infringement decision or impose a fine. Meta remains able to respond before the process reaches a final outcome.

If the Commission ultimately determines that Meta breached the DSA, the company could face a penalty of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover, according to reporting on the case. That potential maximum should not be confused with a fine already imposed: the supplied evidence does not establish that a final penalty has been issued.

Meta has rejected the Commission’s preliminary assessment, according to reporting after the finding.

How under-13 access fits into the wider scrutiny

The addictive-design investigation is part of broader EU scrutiny of how Meta protects young users. In a separate preliminary finding reported in April, the Commission said Meta had failed to prevent children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram effectively, despite the platforms’ stated minimum age of 13.

That issue is distinct from the later design case. One concerns age controls and access by under-13s; the other concerns whether features such as infinite feeds and autoplay create risks of compulsive use. Together, however, they show why the Commission is examining both who can use Meta’s services and how those services are designed for people who do use them.

Poland’s €250 million request is a separate case

Poland has separately asked the Commission to fine Meta €250 million over alleged failures to tackle fraudulent advertisements and scam content. 13

That request does not form part of the addictive-design proceeding. The EU’s child-safety case concerns systemic risks from Facebook and Instagram’s product design, while Poland’s complaint concerns Meta’s handling of deceptive advertising. Both disputes reflect wider pressure on large platforms to demonstrate that their systems adequately manage risks to users, but they involve different alleged failures and legal questions.

The practical takeaway

The U.S. settlement points toward fixed rules for teen access: two hours per day, no routine overnight use and fewer school-hour notifications. The EU’s demand is more structural. Brussels wants Meta to address the mechanisms that keep users scrolling, watching and returning—including infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications and highly personalised recommendations. 27

For children and teenagers in the EU, the immediate result is not yet a confirmed new time limit. It is an ongoing regulatory process that could force Meta to redesign core parts of Instagram and Facebook if the Commission’s preliminary view becomes final.