Global social media platform regulation is tightening! The European Union is demanding Meta (META.US) to reform addictive features on Instagram and Facebook.

EU accuses Meta Platforms (META.US) on Friday of violating its tech regulation laws with its Instagram and Facebook platforms. Regulators are pointing their fingers at features on these platforms designed to make users addicted and are demanding that the platforms modify automatic playback and infinite scrolling features, or face fines. The European Commission, based on the milestone Digital Services Act, reached the above preliminary findings after a two-year investigation. The Act requires large online platforms to increase efforts to curb illegal and harmful content. Social media companies are facing increasingly strict scrutiny globally, with concerns that the platforms are exacerbating the mental health crisis among children, prompting some governments to implement or consider implementing social media bans for underage users. As the EU Commission, the EU's tech regulator, stated, Meta failed to fully assess the addictive risks posed by highly personalized recommendations, automatic playback, and infinite scrolling features, which continuously push new content to users and encourage users to stay on the platform for long periods. The agency stated that short videos (Reels) and temporary stories on Facebook and Instagram can easily lead to excessive and compulsive use of the platform. Regulators criticized Meta for its measures to mitigate these risks, stating that time management tools are easily overlooked, and parental control features require a significant amount of time, effort, and technical knowledge to be effectively utilized. The EU Commission stated that Meta should default disable features such as automatic playback and infinite scrolling, introduce effective screen time rest mechanisms, and reduce system recommendations to lower user engagement. Meta disputes the charges Meta spokesperson Ben Walters stated, "We disagree with these preliminary investigation findings, which have not accurately taken into account the significant measures we have taken to protect minors. "Since the start of this investigation, we have launched teen accounts that automatically protect teens and give parents control - allowing parents to block their children from accessing Instagram at night and limit daily screen time to 15 minutes or less. Meta stated that it will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with EU regulatory agencies. Henna Virkkunen, the EU's tech policy chief, stated, "Our starting point is that, based on our investigation findings, this design is too easy to become addictive and needs to change." "The next step is for either Meta to change its design, or we will make non-compliant decisions." Meta may face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue. The company can respond to these charges before the European Commission makes a final decision in the coming months. Global regulatory crackdown In fact, Meta's social platforms are facing a global regulatory crackdown. The company failed last month to dismiss a lawsuit filed by 29 US state attorneys general, accusing Facebook and Instagram of causing addiction in children. The EU Commission is separately investigating the "rabbit hole effect" caused by the recommendation systems of Facebook and Instagram, where algorithm recommendations lead users to similar content, causing them to become immersed in it for long periods. In another case announced in April, the EU Commission asked Meta to take more measures to prevent children under 13 from accessing its social networks, or face fines. Meta is also facing intense regulatory scrutiny in its core market of India. In early July, India issued two warning letters to Meta within a week: first for Instagram paid ads featuring inappropriate content related to child exploitation, ordering the platform to immediately remove the violations and submit an explanation within seven days; and then for halting WhatsApp's username feature, citing concerns that the feature fosters online crime. India is Meta's largest single market globally, with Instagram and Facebook users in the hundreds of millions, and WhatsApp users exceeding 500,000. The EU Commission is set to receive expert investigation results next Monday, which may pave the way for a ban on teenagers using social media across Europe. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce this ban in September's State of the Union address.