The European Commission has issued an official charge sheet accusing Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, of failing to address the physical and mental health risks posed by the "addictive design" of its platforms. Regulators say features such as video autoplay and infinite scroll "shift the brain into autopilot mode", contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use, and that this amounts to a breach of the EU's Digital Services Act. The finding matters because it arrives as the EU weighs a possible social media ban for minors, and because a confirmed breach could expose Meta to a fine of up to 6% of its total annual turnover.

The charges form part of a wider investigation into Meta launched in May 2024, which is also examining "rabbit hole" effects that feed young people negative content and Meta's alleged failure to stop under-13s using its services. The Commission said Meta had disregarded information on how long children spend on its apps at night and how features such as reels and stories could drive compulsive use; it wants the company to scrap autoplay and infinite scroll as defaults, add screen breaks and adjust its algorithm. Meta, which says it has spent over a decade developing more than 50 protective tools, can mount a defence. The announcement comes days before an expert panel convened by Commission president Ursula von der Leyen presents recommendations on child social media bans on Monday, with at least 10 member states, including France, Italy and Spain, already drafting their own plans.