The European Commission has preliminarily found Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to the platforms’ “addictive” design features. This serious violation could lead to fines amounting to billions of euros. The Commission’s concerns center on how these platforms encourage compulsive use through features like “autoplay” and infinite scrolling, which keep users hooked for longer than they might intend.
Henna Virkkunen, a spokesperson for the Commission, emphasized that the DSA was specifically designed to hold platforms accountable for the way their services impact users. “We are fully committed to enforcing our legislation in Europe,” she stated. The Commission also pointed out that existing safeguards, like time management tools for teenagers, are often ignored, rendering them ineffective. Parental controls were found to be useful only for those parents who possess the technical know-how and time to navigate them, which the regulators argued diminishes their overall effectiveness.
The Commission has urged Meta to implement significant structural changes to both Facebook and Instagram. These changes include disabling features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, introducing effective screen-time breaks, and adjusting recommendation algorithms to prioritize user well-being over engagement metrics. It’s important to note that these preliminary findings do not prejudge the final outcome, leaving the door open for Meta to respond and potentially contest the findings.
With Meta’s 2025 revenue reported at just under $201 billion, this latest move by the European Commission is part of a broader series of actions against major platforms under the DSA. Earlier this year, the Commission issued a hefty €120 million fine against Elon Musk’s age verification measures for users under 13, which highlights the increasing scrutiny these tech giants are facing.
So, what’s next for Meta? Will they comply with these demands, or will they push back against the European Commission’s findings? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the landscape of social media and digital accountability is shifting rapidly…
Kaynak: Orijinal Haber