The EU has warned Meta to change what it describes as the “addictive design” of Facebook and Instagram or face potentially hefty fines.

European regulators said features such as infinite scroll, autoplay videos and highly personalized feeds may encourage excessive use, particularly among children and vulnerable users. The European Commission's preliminary findings concluded that Meta had failed to properly assess and mitigate these risks.

Brussels is calling for measures including screen-time breaks, stronger parental controls and changes to recommendation algorithms. Meta said it disagrees with the findings but will continue to engage with EU regulators.