BRUSSELS: Instagram and Facebook pose excessive addiction risks for children and young people, the European Commission has found in preliminary results of an EU investigation, as it pushes forward proceedings against parent company Meta.
If the US company cannot refute the allegations or fails to make changes, the European Commission could impose a multibillion-euro fine of up to six per cent of annual turnover – which in Meta's case could amount to more than €12bil (RM55.8bil).
The Brussels authority published the investigation results on July 10 amid an ongoing debate about a minimum age for social media, adding to pressure on online platforms and giving the EU arguments for stricter rules.
"Meta disregarded available information about the time minors spend on Instagram or Facebook at night," a Commission statement said, explaining that this could lead to "excessive or compulsive use of the services."
Proceedings are also underway against TikTok over the app's addictive potential – similar preliminary findings have been in place since February. An expert panel appointed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to deliver its recommendations on July 13 on how to proceed on the question of a social media ban.
Among the features criticised by the European Commission on Instagram and Facebook are autoplaying videos and infinite scrolling – the latter referring to the way platforms continuously load new content as users swipe, without prompting them to take a break.
EU officials also criticised the way content is selected using personalised algorithms, as well as notifications that repeatedly draw users back to the platforms.
What could change in Instagram and Facebook
The European Commission said efforts by Meta to minimise addiction risks for minors and vulnerable adults are insufficient.
Time management tools for children – such as daily limits or break times – can be easily disabled, the Brussels authority said. Other parental control features on Instagram and Facebook are only effective if parents have sufficient technical knowledge and take the trouble to fully understand them, it added.
The Commission said Instagram and Facebook must now change how their platforms operate. Among the changes it proposed are:
- Deactivation of infinite scrolling and autoplaying videos by default
- Introduction of effective screen breaks
- Adjustment of recommendation systems to make them less focused on user engagement
A separate EU proceeding is running in parallel against Meta. Here, the Brussels Internet regulators say:
Instagram and Facebook must enforce the minimum age of 13 set out in their terms of service – or face further fines.
Meta recently announced it would expand its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to more strictly verify the ages of children and young people on Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
When could the change happen?
There is no immediate deadline for Meta to respond to the EU's allegations. Critics have repeatedly accused the European Commission of not enforcing EU rules on digital platforms consistently enough, of taking too long to pursue proceedings against online giants and of imposing too few fines.
The proceedings against Meta over inadequate protection of minors have already been running for more than two years.
Any changes made to Instagram and Facebook would, if implemented, likely only impact users whose App Store or Google Play Store is registered in an EU country.
In the US, Meta – together with Google's video platform YouTube – lost a high-profile court case over the addictive potential of its services. A jury in Los Angeles awarded the 20-year-old plaintiff US$3mil (RM12.21mil) in damages, with 70% to be paid by Meta. – dpa
