Instagram, Facebook hiding a 'dark secret,' EU claims; company could pay a huge fine

# EU Charges Meta with Digital Services Act Violations

The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has violated the Digital Services Act through design features on both platforms. The charges center on what Brussels characterizes as addictive design elements that harm users, particularly teenagers.

The EU is specifically targeting three design features: infinite scroll, autoplay functionality, and personalized feeds. The Commission's preliminary ruling indicates these mechanisms are deliberately engineered to encourage prolonged user engagement in ways that may be detrimental to user wellbeing. The regulator is demanding that Meta disable autoplay and infinite scroll by default on both platforms.

The violations carry significant financial consequences. Meta faces the prospect of substantial fines under the Digital Services Act framework, though the specific penalty amount has not yet been disclosed. The preliminary findings suggest the Commission intends to compel substantive changes to how Meta's platforms operate if the company does not implement the required modifications.