The European Commission issued a notice on July 10, flagging Meta’s Facebook and Instagram apps for violating the EU Digital Services Act. The complaint centers on the platforms’ design features that the Commission calls “addictive,” which could breach the Act’s rules on user protection.

If the preliminary findings are upheld, Meta faces a fine up to 6% of its global turnover. With 2025 revenue reported at $200.97 billion, the cap translates to roughly $12.5 billion, a figure that dwarfs the company’s average quarterly earnings.

The Commission cites infinite scrolling, autoplaying media, and push notifications as the main drivers of addictive use. These mechanisms push users, including minors and vulnerable adults, into “autopilot mode,” encouraging compulsive scrolling and unhealthy habits.

Meta’s own mitigation tools are deemed ineffective. Parental controls require technical knowledge, and screen‑time settings can be dismissed. The Commission demands that Meta disable infinite scroll and autoplay by default and deploy a more robust time‑management system.