What happened
The European Union has warned Meta that Facebook and Instagram may need to change their alleged "addictive design" features. The warning is part of a broader regulatory scrutiny of how major digital platforms shape user behaviour, especially through design choices that may increase screen time.
Brussels has said Meta may face a fine of up to 6% of the company’s global annual turnover if the findings are confirmed.
What features are under scrutiny
The European Union has pointed to design elements including endless scrolling, highly personalised feeds, and autoplay of videos. The regulator’s preliminary view is that these features may create risks for children and vulnerable adults.
Proposed changes include disabling key addictive features by default, adding effective screen-time breaks, and making recommendation systems less engagement-driven.
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