Disable autoplay and infinite scroll or risk massive fines, EU tells Meta

Key Points:

• The European Commission preliminarily found that Meta's addictive design features on Facebook and Instagram, such as autoplay and infinite scroll, negatively impact users' mental and physical wellbeing, especially minors and vulnerable adults.
• The EU criticized Meta’s current mitigation efforts, including parental controls and time management tools, as ineffective and recommended disabling addictive features by default, with potential fines up to 6% of Meta’s global revenue if changes are not made.
• Meta disputes the EU’s findings, highlighting recent measures like Teen Accounts with parental controls, but faces increasing regulatory scrutiny in both Europe and the US, including a major lawsuit alleging its platforms addict children with potential penalties up to $1.4 trillion.
• Meta’s aggressive investment in AI, including a new model called Muse that uses public Instagram content, raises privacy and deepfake concerns, as many users were automatically opted into data sharing without explicit consent.
• The regulatory pressure and backlash over addictive features and data use could jeopardize Meta’s AI ambitions and business strategy, which relies on widespread adoption of its AI tools fueled by extensive user data.