The European Union has directed Meta to change the ‘addictive design’ of Facebook and Instagram, warning that failure to comply could result in substantial fines. The preliminary assessment, released on Friday from Brussels, accuses Meta of failing to reduce risks for children and vulnerable adults by maintaining features that keep users engaged for long periods, such as infinite scroll, personalized feeds, and autoplay videos.

EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen stated that protecting Europeans’ physical and mental health should be a priority for social media platforms. The European Commission said Meta must modify its design to disable autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introduce effective screen time breaks, and make recommendation algorithms less engagement-driven. Meta disagreed with the findings but said it would work constructively with the EU.

If the preliminary decision becomes final, the EU could fine Meta up to six percent of its global annual revenue. The move follows growing EU pressure on major tech firms to strengthen online safety for minors, similar to earlier warnings issued to TikTok.