European Commission charges Meta with violating the Digital Services Act

On Friday, the European Commission announced preliminary findings that Meta violated the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to the addictive design of its Facebook and Instagram platforms. The investigation, which spanned two years, focuses on features such as infinite scrolling, automatic video playback, and highly personalized recommendation systems. Regulators argue these mechanisms foster compulsive usage and fail to protect the mental and physical health of users, particularly minors. The Commission specifically noted that Meta failed to mitigate risks associated with night-time usage and the impact of features like Reels and Stories. Furthermore, the existing time-management tools on these platforms were deemed insufficient. If Meta fails to address these concerns and disable these features, the company could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The ruling follows an increased global focus on the impact of social media platforms on the mental health of children.