Europe takes a stand against Instagram and Facebook: Meta faces massive fines

The European Union has concluded that certain features of Instagram and Facebook may lead users into a state of platform dependency. According to the European Commission's preliminary assessment, Meta has failed to adequately account for risks, particularly for teenagers and vulnerable users.

If these findings are confirmed at the end of the investigation, one of the world's largest tech companies could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.

What did the European Commission accuse Meta of?

On July 10, the European Commission issued a preliminary decision finding Meta in violation of the EU's Digital Services Act.

The Commission stated that certain interface solutions on Facebook and Instagram serve to keep users on the platform longer, which may pose risks to physical and mental health.

According to the investigation, Meta failed to sufficiently assess these risks, especially for:

• minors;

• teenagers;

• vulnerable adult users.

Which features caused the objections?

The main mechanisms that triggered the European Commission's opposition are:

• personalized recommendation algorithms;

• automatic video playback;

• infinite scrolling of the feed.

The Commission believes that these specific features encourage users to watch new content incessantly and can put them into an 'autopilot mode'.

Furthermore, the European Union noted that Meta did not sufficiently consider data regarding the time teenagers spend on Instagram and Facebook at night, nor the impact of formats like Reels and Stories on excessive usage.

Parental controls also criticized

The Commission concluded that the parental control tools offered by Meta are not as effective as expected.

The statement notes that using these tools correctly requires parents to have sufficient technical knowledge and dedicate extra time to learning them. In practice, this is not always possible.

What awaits Meta now?

Following the announcement of the preliminary decision, Meta will be given the opportunity to review the documents and provide a written response to the Commission's objections.

If the Commission's findings are confirmed at the end of the investigation, Meta could be fined up to 6% of its global annual turnover.

For reference, the European Union launched an official investigation into Meta's compliance with the Digital Services Act in May 2024.