On July 10, the European Commission preliminarily found Meta Platforms in breach of the Digital Service Act (DSA) over Instagram and Facebook’s “addictive design,” concluding that the design of the two platforms are not breaking social media addiction but exposing users to risks through features that encourage compulsive use.
According to the EU Commission, Meta should redesign Instagram and Facebook by disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing screen-time breaks, as well as modifying its recommender systems to prioritize less engagement recommendations.
Brussels also expects Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to fine tune its assessment and mitigation of risks posed by its social platforms’ design, especially for children.
Social media platforms have woven themselves into modern human connection, and European regulators argue that the underlying software code has been quietly optimized to exploit our psychology rather than serve our well-being.
Facebook and Instagram designed to be addictive are triggers for legal action, taking the conversation from complaints about screen time into a direct threat against the core engineering choices of the largest social networks.
US Friction VS EU Sovereignty
With all said, and almost done, it seems that the EU has found in the American tech industry, a passively reliable source of revenue. In parallel, Silicon Valley has found, in Europe, a consistently reliable source of grievance, and President Trump is not having it.
Neither side, at this point, appears to be surprised by the conduct of the other party.
The Trump administration is against the EU over Big Tech fines that have targeted major Big Tech golden giants, Google, Apple, and Meta.
Since early 2024, the running total of EU fines against Google, Apple, and Meta has crossed $6.8 billion. In a normal tech company situation, these numbers would birth a crisis, but for these Big Tech giants, it’s become more a recurring line item.
In September 2025, Google paid the largest contribution of $3.36 billion (€2.95 billion) for its abuse of its dominance in digital advertising technology by favoring its own ad exchange across a stack that rivals were systematically and structurally prevented from competing with on equal terms, by the Commission’s reading.
Google was the fourth major fine antitrust fine in the EU.
Apple also absorbed $570 million (€500 million) over its App Store compliance, and Meta $228 million (€200 million) over a consent model that EU regulators determined did not meet DMA’s requirements for user choice.
For Meta, though, the most consequential proceeding and fine may be the one that has yet to come and has not yet produced a final number. The Commission’s recent DSA breach of findings could open door to a fine calibrated against global revenue rather than a fixed penalty.
In December, the Commission issued a $137 million (€120 million) fine against Elon Musk’s X (FKA Twitter) for breaking the EU’s digital transparency rules.
Even if European officials claim these rules are dictated for protection, US representatives argue that over-regulation hinders global digital innovation.
The EU hit Apple with a $2 billion antitrust fine and Meta with almost $870 million in late 2024 triggered the US State Department to warn that Europe cannot exceed its regulations while relying heavily on American AI hardware.
In response, Trump signed a note to consider tariffs against these digital taxes, while EU counter-argues that Meta only changes behavior after being fined under pressure.
Meta’s Addictive Design of Social Media
In May 2024, the EU Commission launched an investigation into whether Meta adequately assessed the risks posed by Instagram and Facebook, under the DSA. Now, the preliminary findings follow that investigation.
The Commission’s investigation found that Meta failed to account for the impacts of heavily on specific code mechanics built into Facebook and Instagram designed to be addictive, including extremely personalized recommendations, autoplay, infinite scroll, and push notifications on users’ mental wellbeing, as well as physical.
The findings also exposed that Meta’s existing safeguards do not sufficiently reduce any of the risks listed above.
“Meta did not consider certain design features of Instagram and Facebook,” said the Commission’s report, adding that “Meta disregarded available information about the time minors spend on Instagram and Facebook at night and how the optimisation of its different formats – such as reels and stories – could lead to excessive or compulsive use of the services.”
When a video automatically plays next, or a feed refreshes with new content, the brain is tricked into staying online without making a conscious choice, highlighting how Instagram and Facebook designed to be addictive impacts our daily habits.
According to regulators, these highly personalized recommendation systems continuously feed users new material tailored precisely to their habits. The algorithmic push often drives users into autopilot mode, creating compulsive habits that override healthier real-world routines.
Short video formats, such as Reels and Stories, worsen this loop by delivering fast, unpredictable bursts of visual stimulation, reinforcing that we are dealing with a social media designed to be addictive experience.
The EU argues that Meta’s existing safety tools fail to fix these algorithmic problems. For example, screen-time alerts are easily dismissed with a single tap, while parental controls are often too technically complex for regular families to navigate, preventing users from achieving a true break social media addiction outcome.
To fix this, the EU insists that Meta must change its core technology. The commission demands that Meta disable features like autoplay and infinite scroll by default, implement mandatory screen breaks, and rebuild its recommendation engines, so they prioritize user health over maximum engagement.
“Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms,” said Henna Virkkunen, EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
Virkkunen emphasized that breaking social media addiction requires systemic changes to the core foundation of Instagram and Facebook’s platform design.
Meta Refusing to Break Social Media Addiction
Meta strongly defends its platform choices and technology, arguing that it has already introduced significant changes to keep young people safe. The company points to its new automated systems built specifically to curb excessive app usage among younger demographics, though critics point out that Facebook designed to be addictive features still require stronger, built-in limits.
“Since this investigation began, we rolled out Teen Accounts that automatically protect teens and put parents in control – allowing them to block access to Instagram at night and cap daily screen time at just 15 minutes,” said Ben Walters, Meta spokesperson.
“We share the European Commission’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive online experiences and will continue to engage constructively with them”, the company added.
However, the EU is standing firm, suggesting that the addictive design of Instagram must be addressed at a foundational level. If Meta does not redesign its interfaces, it faces a massive penalty of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
“Our starting point is that, based on our findings, this design is too addictive, and changes need to be made,” EU tech chief Virkkunen told Reuters.
“The next step is either that Meta changes its design or a noncompliance decision will follow.”
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