EU warns Meta over Facebook and Instagram's addictive infinite scroll design

The European Commission has issued preliminary findings saying Meta may have breached the Digital Services Act by failing to adequately assess and reduce the risks linked to addictive design on Facebook and Instagram.

The case puts product design itself at the center of EU enforcement. Regulators said features including infinite scroll and autoplay can encourage compulsive use and may pose risks to users' physical and mental health, especially for minors.

The Commission's warning is part of a broader investigation that began in 2024 and has focused on systemic risks, youth protection and age-verification concerns. Officials have also examined whether Meta has done enough to stop under-13 users from accessing the services.

Meta now has a chance to respond before the Commission decides whether to move to a final finding. If the preliminary view is upheld, the company could face orders to change product design and penalties of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.

What the Commission flagged

The Commission said Meta did not adequately assess or mitigate the risks it identified on the two platforms. Its concern is not limited to harmful content appearing in feeds, but to the design of the apps themselves and how those designs may keep users scrolling for longer.

Regulators specifically pointed to infinite scroll and autoplay as features that can intensify compulsive use. The Commission also said its assessment found Meta's parental controls and screen-time tools were not enough to address the risks under review.

That puts the case in a more unusual category of EU tech enforcement. Instead of focusing only on moderation failures or illegal material, Brussels is scrutinizing whether Meta built Facebook and Instagram in a way that could systematically encourage overuse.

The investigation timeline

The probe began in 2024 and has grown into one of the clearest tests yet of how the Digital Services Act can be used against major platform design choices.

On July 10, 2026, the European Commission announced its preliminary findings. Those findings marked the latest step in a case that has also examined age-verification issues and the risks of under-13 access.

The timing matters because the Commission has now moved from investigation to an enforcement posture that could eventually lead to formal penalties or required product changes if Meta does not convince regulators otherwise.

Meta's response and the stakes

Meta says it has already taken steps to protect younger users, including Teen Accounts and parental controls. The company will use its response window to argue that those measures are sufficient and that it has addressed the Commission's concerns.

If the Commission ultimately confirms a breach, the stakes are significant. Beyond fines of up to 6% of global turnover, the company could be forced to alter default behavior in its apps for users in Europe.

That would carry implications well beyond Meta. The case could become a precedent for how far the EU is willing to go in policing addictive design, especially where children and teenagers are concerned.

What happens next

Meta can submit its rebuttal before the Commission makes any final decision. The regulator can then decide whether to maintain, narrow or deepen its findings.

A final ruling could clarify whether the EU's case rests mainly on design features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, on age-verification and child-safety safeguards, or on both.

For now, the Commission's message is that platform design is now a live regulatory issue in Europe. The question is no longer only what users see on Facebook and Instagram, but how the apps are built to keep them engaged.