Commission: The addictive design of Instagram and Facebook in breach of the Digital Services Act
Published Friday 10 July 2026 at 13:25
The European Commission announced that it has reached a preliminary finding that Meta has breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to the addictive design of its Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The Commission's investigation found that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks its design poses to users' mental and physical well-being, particularly children, teenagers, and other vulnerable groups. Among the features identified as problematic are infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendation systems that encourage prolonged use of the platforms.
According to the Commission, Meta's current mitigation measures, including screen time management tools and parental controls, do not effectively address these risks. The Commission is calling on the company to redesign its platforms by limiting features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling and introducing more effective mechanisms to interrupt prolonged use.
The preliminary findings do not constitute a final decision. Meta now has the opportunity to respond to the Commission's concerns, and if the violations are ultimately confirmed, the company could face a fine of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover.
Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, the GERB-SDS parliamentary group has proposed a complete ban on social media use for children under the age of 16. Teenagers aged 16 to 18 would be allowed to access social media only during daytime hours. An exception would apply solely to educational applications approved for use in schools.
