Istanbul: The European Commission said Friday it had preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), saying the "addictive" design of Facebook and Instagram failed to adequately protect users, particularly minors, from risks to their physical and mental well-being.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Commission noted that Meta needs to implement design changes to both Instagram and Facebook, suggesting measures such as disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing effective screen-time breaks, and making recommendation systems less engagement-driven. These preliminary findings focus on features like infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and personalized recommendation systems that may encourage compulsive use of the platforms.

The Commission also pointed out that Meta's existing safeguards, including screen time-management tools, parental controls, and awareness measures, do not effectively mitigate these risks. These findings remain preliminary and do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.

Meta is now provided the opportunity to examine the Commission's findings and submit a written response before a final decision is made. Should the Commission confirm its preliminary findings, Meta could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover under the DSA.

The investigation, which began in May 2024, is also reviewing Meta's age assurance measures for users under 13 and the potential impact of Facebook's and Instagram's recommendation systems on minors.