Over features that encourage addiction: The EU has threatened Meta with a massive fine
10 July 19:17
The European Union has accused Meta Platforms of violating the Digital Services Act, stating that features in its popular Instagram and Facebook apps encourage user addiction, and has threatened fines if the tech giant does not make the necessary changes, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Reuters.
The European Commission stated that Meta had not sufficiently assessed the risks of psychological addiction created by personalized post recommendations, autoplay videos, and an endless feed—features that encourage addiction and prolonged content consumption.
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According to the regulator, the measures implemented by the tech company to mitigate these risks are insufficient: time-management tools are easy to disable, and parental controls require effort and technical skills. The European Commission proposes disabling these features by default on Meta’s social media platforms, programming mandatory breaks for users, and changing the recommendation system so that it is less likely to draw people into viewing content.
The tech giant faces a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.
Meta stated that it will continue to engage constructively with EU regulators.
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