The European Union has accused Instagram and Facebook of violating regulations and is threatening fines of up to 12 billion dollars. Brussels also alleges that Meta has not adequately considered available information regarding how minors use Facebook and Instagram at night, as well as how the optimization of their formats — Reels and Stories — “may lead to compulsive or excessive use of these services”.
Hanna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s Second Vice President responsible for technological sovereignty, security, and democracy, stated on Friday that “protecting the physical and mental well-being of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms. The Digital Services Act provides a clear basis for monitoring the behavior of these platforms through their addictive designs and the impact of their services”. The Commission, facing companies backed by the White House, consistently emphasizes: “We are fully committed to applying our legislation in Europe”.
Meta’s ineffective measures and EU demands
The company Meta claims it has implemented measures to mitigate these risks, but the European Commission argues that evidence “indicates that Meta’s current measures to mitigate are unable to effectively combat the risks of addictive design”. The report cites examples: Facebook and Instagram offer time control tools, some of which are activated by default for teenagers, “but they can be deactivated, and they do not lead to a significant reduction (in usage time)”.
Furthermore, the European Commission believes that parental controls on Meta platforms “are only effective if parents have the appropriate technical knowledge and time to understand how it works”. This, as noted in Brussels’ indictment against the giant Mark Zuckerberg — one of the richest individuals in the world and a supporter of Donald Trump since his return to power — “limits the effectiveness of these measures to counter the inherent risks of addictive design”. Brussels is demanding that the American company make changes: “At this stage of the investigation, the European Commission believes that Meta must implement changes in the design of both platforms, Instagram and Facebook. For example, disabling addictive tools such as automatic video playback and infinite scrolling”.
The European Commission reminds Meta that the company can appeal, review the investigation documents, and provide a written response with its arguments. However, this does not exempt the company from the obligation to make the changes required by the European Commission. Brussels emphasizes that the investigation is still preliminary, and if confirmed, it could result in a fine equivalent to 6% of Meta‘s global revenue (not profit). Last year, the company’s revenue exceeded 200 billion dollars, meaning the fine could reach approximately 12 billion dollars. The Commission also notes that the investigation is more complex because it includes a system (which Brussels considers ineffective) introduced by Meta to prevent the use of its platforms by minors under 13 years old. The preliminary decision on these measures was published on April 29 and contradicts the company’s interests.
Source: Clarín
