Pressure is mounting on Meta across multiple continents as regulators demand changes they say would rein in the addictive mechanics built into Facebook and Instagram — and the European Commission is now waiting for the company to spell out what it will do next.
An EU Commission spokesperson said the bloc expects Meta to present changes aimed at limiting addictive design on its social networks. The issue sits within a wider global effort by governments to reduce children’s exposure to harmful online content, including a world-first step taken in Australia late last year: a ban on social media for children under 16.
“We have been very clear .. we expect proper screen time management, we expect proper parental control on these platforms. Meta knows … the ball is in Meta’s court,” the commission spokesperson said.
In Ireland, the Department of Communications said investigations are ongoing into whether some social media platforms are failing to meet obligations designed to protect children online.
It added that the European Commission is working on proposals for additional legislation to further strengthen safeguards for children online, with measures expected in the next few months.
“As the protection of children and young people online is a key theme of Ireland’s EU Presidency, we will give priority to the negotiations on those proposals as soon as they emerge,” it said.
The Government has previously expressed support for restrictions on children’s access to social media, but has repeatedly said it would prefer any ban to be adopted at EU level rather than through a patchwork of national rules.
The latest EU scrutiny follows action taken last month when the bloc charged Meta’s Instagram and Facebook with breaching technology rules. Regulators zeroed in on features they say are built to keep users hooked, warning Meta it must address tools such as autoplay and infinite scroll or face fines.
The European Commission said Meta had not adequately assessed the addictive risks created by highly personalised recommendations, autoplay and infinite scroll.
Meta said in a statement at the time that it disagreed with the findings, arguing they failed to reflect the “significant steps” the company said it had taken to protect teenagers.
Call for new Meta measures to be applied globally
Earlier, South Korea’s media regulator weighed in, saying any measures Meta proposes to curb potentially addictive features for young users should ideally be rolled out worldwide.
The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) said social media firms must take greater responsibility for protecting children and teenagers, pointing to seven bills currently pending in the country’s parliament that aim to strengthen online protections for young people.
The commission “believes that in order to create an environment in which Korean youth can use social networking services safely, it is necessary to strengthen social media providers’ responsibility to protect minors,” the regulator said.
The KMCC comments came a day after landmark US settlements were announced under which Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and implement a series of changes to Facebook and Instagram. Several states had accused the company of designing products that contributed to youth addiction and harmed mental health.
Under the settlements, Meta is to introduce measures including limits on usage time, restrictions on notifications, stronger age-verification tools, an option for non-algorithmic feeds and the ability to hide “likes” and similar engagement metrics for younger users.
The KMCC said that among Meta’s proposed corrective steps, changes to features that may drive excessive use — including algorithm-based content recommendations, the display of engagement metrics such as likes, and push notifications designed to lure users back — “would ideally be applied to youth users worldwide as well”.
South Korea, the regulator noted, has been moving toward tighter oversight of minors’ social media use as concern grows over excessive screen time and the role of recommendation algorithms in sustaining young users’ engagement.
The debate reflects a broader global push to protect children online, even as proposals to restrict minors’ social media access have also drawn criticism, including over privacy concerns and how such rules could be enforced in practice.
British government expects Meta’s new protections to apply in UK
In the UK, the British government said it expects Meta’s new protections for teenagers to apply in Britain as well.
British Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said he did not want young people in America to have “a higher rate of protection” than young people in Britain.
He added, however, that the UK Government intends to go further and will implement a social media ban for young people next year.
Meanwhile in Europe, Poland’s minister of digital affairs said on Friday morning he has asked the European Commission to impose a €250m fine on Meta.
“I also call on Meta to immediately introduce effective tools to eliminate scams, false advertising, and the promotion of illegal applications,” Krzysztof Gawkowski posted on X.
Meta deal shows firms can protect young users, Australia says
Australian regulators, for their part, said Meta’s decision to restrict teenagers’ use of social media demonstrates that platforms have the capability to better protect young people online.
Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells said social media companies “have the tools at their disposal to protect young people from their addictive features but have chosen not to use them”.
“That’s why Australia took world-leading action to create a minimum age for social media, and we are proud that more than 20 countries are joining us,” she added.
In the US, social media companies continue to face thousands of lawsuits in federal and state courts. Plaintiffs including individuals, school districts, municipalities and other government entities allege the platforms knowingly sought to addict children and helped fuel a mental health crisis, citing harms such as anxiety, depression and suicide.
Read more:
Meta reaches $16.68 billion settlement over social media harms to children
Meta says it removed 756,000 Australian teen accounts
Meta glasses banned by ‘many’ cinemas amid piracy concerns
