The European Union announced Thursday its expectation for Meta to address "addictive" features on its platforms across Europe. This follows a landmark settlement in the United States where the tech giant agreed to significant limits on Facebook and Instagram use for teenagers in several US states.
Last month, the European Commission determined that Meta was in breach of its Digital Services Act (DSA), a key piece of legislation designed to regulate large technology companies within the 27-nation bloc. The Commission subsequently ordered Meta to propose measures to enhance the safety of its platforms for children.
Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the European Commission, confirmed that the EU has engaged in new "exchanges" with Meta since the US settlement, which Brussels has been monitoring "very closely." Regnier noted that the Commission's ongoing probe into Meta stems from "exactly the same suspicions" as those raised in the American case. The EU is in discussions with the company to ensure "at least equally good protection for our kids here in the European Union."
Specific expectations from Brussels include "proper screen time management" and "proper parental control" on Meta's platforms. The EU has previously highlighted risks to children associated with Facebook and Instagram features such as endless scroll, highly personalized feeds, and the automatic playback of videos. A similar warning was issued to TikTok in February.
In the US settlement, Meta committed to a range of new safeguards for young users, including an automatic nighttime block and a cap of two hours of cumulative daily use across its applications. These changes represent a more extensive set of protections than Meta had previously accepted, coming after years of criticism from parents and experts regarding the impact of the world's largest social media platforms on children.
While Meta has stated its disagreement with the EU's findings, the company has pledged to engage "constructively" on the issue. Should Meta fail to adequately address the EU's concerns, the bloc reserves the right to impose a fine of up to six percent of the company's total worldwide annual turnover.
In a parallel effort, the European Union is also considering a potential ban on social media access for young people, spurred by several member states advocating for an approach similar to Australia's. An expert panel, comprising doctors, academics, youth representatives, and parents, submitted its report last month to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. She is expected to detail proposed restrictions in a keynote speech on September 16th, with a formal legal proposal anticipated later this year.
The panel's recommendations include no screen time for babies and toddlers, and that children up to 12 years old should only be permitted "age-appropriate social media" under adult supervision. For adolescents aged 13 to 18, the panel advised a gradual increase in autonomous social media use, provided the platforms have "actively introduced key safety features."
Von der Leyen previously stated, "This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children," emphasizing that tech firms must "prove that their services do no harm."
