On Friday, July 10, the European Commission preliminarily concluded that Instagram and Facebook are violating EU digital services rules because their design may promote addictive use. The objections concern features such as autoplay videos, infinite scrolling of content, and personalized recommendations, which regulators say may contribute to compulsive use of the platforms. RTE News ↗
Brussels' new move shifts the ongoing debate about Meta from taxes and advertising more significantly toward protecting users' mental health, especially that of children and adolescents. The Commission claims the company did not sufficiently take into account the risks these features may pose to users' well-being. Meta thus faces a demand to modify the problematic features and demonstrate compliance with the Digital Services Act. El Pais ↗
At the same time, the company remains part of a broader discussion about the accountability of large technology firms. In the United Kingdom, according to a Monday survey by the Fair Tax Foundation, two-thirds of respondents supported raising the two-percent digital services tax on large technology companies, including the owner of Facebook and Instagram. idnes.cz ↗
The pressure on Meta is also expanding in the area of artificial intelligence. New articles have drawn attention to the Muse Image tool, which is linked to Instagram and, for public accounts, can use public content to create images using artificial intelligence. Further developments will depend on Meta's response to the concerns of European regulators, as well as on whether the company adjusts the functioning of its services before the preliminary findings translate into further steps. idnes.cz ↗
EU accuses Meta of addictive design in Instagram and Facebook
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