EU Orders Meta to Redesign Addictive Instagram and Facebook Features
European regulators are demanding Meta overhaul features on Instagram and Facebook deemed to cause user addiction under digital rules.
The European Union has ordered Meta to alter addictive features embedded in Instagram and Facebook, escalating regulatory pressure on the American social media giant under the bloc's sweeping digital governance framework. The directive targets design elements that regulators say are engineered to maximize user engagement at the expense of consumer wellbeing.
EU authorities have increasingly turned their attention to so-called "dark patterns" and recommendation algorithms that keep users scrolling far longer than they intend, raising concerns about mental health impacts — particularly among younger audiences. The latest demand signals that Brussels is prepared to enforce structural changes, not merely issue warnings or fines.
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Meta faces mounting scrutiny across multiple fronts in Europe, where the Digital Services Act gives regulators broad authority to compel platform redesigns and impose significant financial penalties for non-compliance. The company has previously pushed back against EU oversight, arguing that its features reflect user preferences rather than manipulative design.
The move represents one of the most direct interventions yet by a major regulatory body into how a dominant social platform is architected, potentially setting a precedent that could reverberate through Silicon Valley and influence how other jurisdictions approach big-tech accountability.
Continue reading at reuters_com for the full regulatory details and Meta's official response.
