Watching one video after another because they play automatically or unlocking the phone almost unconsciously when stimulated by a notification are daily routines for more than a billion Instagram and Facebook users. However, for the European Union, these dynamics are not coincidental, but the result of behavioral engineering mechanisms designed to maximize screen time.
The European Commission has preliminarily determined that Meta has violated the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). Following an investigation that began in May 2024, Brussels has accused the technology giant of designing its platforms to generate addictive behaviors, especially among younger people.
According to technical reports, Meta’s highly personalized recommendation systems manage to immerse the user’s brain in an “autopilot mode.” This is not a design error or unintended consequence, but rather a calculated feature. Removing certain barriers, such as having to click to see the next content, eliminates decision-making power.
The Brussels verdict, supported by interviews with experts in behavioral addictions and the review of internal data from the company itself, indicates that Meta encourages compulsive use and does not correctly evaluate the impact of these functions on the physical and mental well-being of society. In this regard, the Community Vice President in charge of Technological Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen, recalled that “the DSA provides a clear framework to hold platforms responsible for addictive design.”
Regulators’ concern is even greater when analyzing the impact on the most vulnerable sectors of the population. The investigation highlights that the company would have deliberately ignored its own internal data on the time teenagers spend online during the night. Formats such as “reels” and stories are under scrutiny for intensifying unhealthy consumption habits and sending minors down the so-called “rabbit hole”: an infinite loop where the algorithm exploits the minor’s inexperience and curiosity, recommending increasingly extreme content to ensure that they do not close the application.
The Commission’s report also dismantles the wellness tools that Meta usually promotes in its global campaigns. Time management options, even those enabled by default for teen accounts, are so easy to ignore or disable that they don’t really reduce usage. On the other hand, parental controls are described by European authorities as systems that are too complex to be a viable solution for the majority of families.
Given this scenario, the Union demands a profound transformation in the interface of these platforms. Community authorities consider it strictly necessary for Meta to implement structural changes, such as disabling infinite scrolling and automatic video playback by default, in addition to introducing screen breaks that are truly effective and redesigning the recommendation algorithms so that they stop prioritizing exclusively user retention. Now, the multinational will have the right to examine the file and present its allegations in writing. However, if these conclusions are confirmed in the final resolution, Meta could face economic sanctions that would reach up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
This movement comes precisely at a time when the veto of minors’ access to social networks is at the center of public debate. While several countries have already begun to apply bans and restrictions at the national level, voices are gaining strength in the corridors of Brussels pointing towards a possible coordinated ban throughout the territory of the Union.
And the Internet sometimes gives nothing but annoyance. A report from the technology consultancy i3e indicates that months after the cyberattack suffered by Booking.com, the consequences are now beginning to emerge. In April, the platform confirmed unauthorized access to personal data and reservation details of some users, information that is now being used by criminal groups to commit fraud. With names, telephone numbers, emails and reservation data in their possession, cybercriminals can impersonate the hotel or the platform itself to request additional payments.