Commission preliminarily finds the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook in breach of the Digital Services Act
EU enforcement of addictive design rules under the DSA signals how recommender systems may face regulatory scrutiny - a reference point for Australian online safety and AI policy watchers.
Key points
- European Commission found Meta in preliminary breach of the DSA over addictive design features on Instagram and Facebook.
- Recommender systems are a focus of the investigation, but the DSA framework has no direct Australian regulatory parallel yet.
- Limited direct relevance to APS AI governance; included as context on international platform accountability trends.
Implications for Australian agencies
- Monitor Online safety and AI policy teams may want to monitor how DSA enforcement against recommender systems develops, as it could inform future Australian debates on algorithmic accountability.
Implications are AI-generated. Starting points, not advice — see methodology for how they're framed.
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"Commission preliminarily finds the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook in breach of the Digital Services Act"
Source: EU Digital Strategy – News
Published: 10 July 2026
URL: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-preliminarily-finds-addictive-design-instagram-and-facebook-breach-digital-services-act
The European Commission has made a preliminary finding that Meta breached the Digital Services Act through addictive design features on Instagram and Facebook, including infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalised recommender systems. The Commission found Meta failed to adequately assess risks to users' physical and mental wellbeing, including minors and vulnerable adults, and that existing mitigation measures were insufficient. The finding is preliminary and relates to EU law; Australia has no directly equivalent framework, though online safety and algorithmic accountability debates continue domestically.
Implications for Australian agencies:
- [Monitor] Online safety and AI policy teams may want to monitor how DSA enforcement against recommender systems develops, as it could inform future Australian debates on algorithmic accountability.
Retrieved from SIMS, 18 July 2026.