EU: Facebook and Instagram's Infinite Scroll May Break Digital Rules

[MacRumors]

Meta has been warned by the European Commission that its endlessly scrolling Facebook and Instagram feeds may violate the EU's new Digital Services Act rules.

In preliminary findings published on Friday, the Commission said that its investigation into features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems, found that Meta "did not adequately assess the risks of their addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults."

From the press release:

These features fuel the user's urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into 'autopilot mode,' contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use.

Moreover, Meta disregarded available information about the time minors spend on Instagram or Facebook at night and how the optimization of its different formats – such as reels and stories – could lead to excessive or compulsive use of the services.

The Commission additionally criticized Meta's risk mitigation measures, saying that the platforms' time management tools could be easily dismissed and don't meaningfully limit the time users spend on the services. It also found fault with Meta's parental controls, which the Commission said were "only effective if parents and guardians possess adequate technical expertise, as well as devote effort and time to understand them."

The Commission said that at this stage of its investigation, it believes Meta needs to make design changes to both Instagram and Facebook. These could include disabling addictive features such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing effective screen time breaks, and modifying its recommender system to make it less focused on driving engagement.

Meta on Friday said it disagreed with the Commission's findings, claiming they "don't accurately take into account the significant steps we've taken to protect teens."

The Commission said Meta now has the opportunity to exercise its right of defence by reviewing the documents in the investigation file and responding in writing to its preliminary findings. If those provisional conclusions are upheld, the company could face a fine of up to 6 percent of its global annual turnover.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: EU: Facebook and Instagram's Infinite Scroll May Break Digital Rules

 

[bodhisattva]

One look around and all you see is people doom scrolling all day. We have to be so careful with our teens or they would scroll all day on various social media.

 

[I7guy]

Time for Meta to do what is needed.

 

[Leobreaker]

I do think parents have a responsibility in these things, but I am thrilled with how much the EU is stepping up to make companies responsible for these addictive platforms. I hope one day we get as many warnings/labels/restrictions on social media as tobacco companies must legally display and show. I, for one, have tried my best to restrict screen time and social media usage, and even as an adult, still find myself in a fight with screen time!

 

[DesertNomad]

Too much government

 

[chrono1081]

I'm going to get hate for this but this just shows how out of touch the EU is:

"did not adequately assess the risks of their addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults."

While I know addictive design is a thing, you can't expect every app maker out there to do some kind of risk assessment, it's just ridiculous to even think about it. The onus is on the end user to regulate themselves with whatever hobby they have.

 

[Stehsegler9]

The Facebook app on my iPhone has been broken for months. I only see three posts from my friend circle the it stops refreshing timeline.

I haven’t updated the app because quite frankly I love it. No more doom scrolling. No more stupid ads or post from outside my circle being pushed

 

[AriaAmaris]

Make it so that the user has to pay per hour of use. The money doesn't go to Meta, it goes into a retirement savings account.

 

[Happy_John]

Too much government

Too many tech companies ignoring responsibility for consequences caused by their products.

 

[Stehsegler9]

I'm going to get hate for this but this just shows how out of touch the EU is:

"did not adequately assess the risks of their addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults."

While I know addictive design is a thing, you can't expect every app maker out there to do some kind of risk assessment, it's just ridiculous to even think about it. The onus is on the end user to regulate themselves with whatever hobby they have.

The problem is Meta’s internal ethics groups has documented the addictive nature of the way the endless scroll is designed.

That’s why people compare it to the time when tabbaco company’s knew about the cancer risks but buried the results of their studies and instead kept pushing cigarette.

 

[armhol]

Make it so that the user has to pay per hour of use. The money doesn't go to Meta, it goes into a retirement savings account.

Great idea! You could implement this yourself by checking weekly screen time numbers and setting that money aside to pension contributions. Food for thought!

 

[Happy_John]

I'm going to get hate for this but this just shows how out of touch the EU is:

"did not adequately assess the risks of their addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults."

While I know addictive design is a thing, you can't expect every app maker out there to do some kind of risk assessment, it's just ridiculous to even think about it. The onus is on the end user to regulate themselves with whatever hobby they have.

That's misrepresenting the argument. Meta is NOT "every app maker" and Meta very much have the resources to be obliged to do adequate risk assessment.

By your logic, we should actively market and sell cigarettes, alcohol, pornography and firearms to children, because, as you say, the "onus is on the end user to regulate themselves with whatever hobby they have".

 

[Graphate]

Setting aside all the worst parts of Meta, I.e. all of Meta.

In all fairness, I don’t know if removing infinite scroll and highly personalized content is the ‘thing’ that is going to separates damaging and addictive from ‘safe’. An overhaul of Meta to reduce it back to an (unprofitable) glorified phone book is impractical, and still wouldn’t entirely fix the problem.

Waiting for the conditioned Meta users to respond with variations on ‘but I only use it for ___.’

 

[neuropsychguy]

Too many tech companies ignoring responsibility for consequences caused by their products.

Both things can be true.

 

[JohannesO]

risks of their addictive design

chances of their addictive design
(from Facebook's point of view)

 

[dominiongamma]

Too many tech companies ignoring responsibility for consequences caused by their products.

Maybe the parents should be more involved in their kids lives instead of blaming the government

 

[Smartuser]

Waiting for the conditioned Meta users to respond with variations on ‘but I only use it for ___.’

Poisoning the well, a tried and true rhetorical fallacy.

I use the awful WhatsApp occasionally because I have to communicate with people in parts of the world where that's dominant.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

It's good to see that someone out there is willing to go after Meta, et al. Here in America we blame parents until we can figure out where we can transfer liability to.

 

[DocMultimedia]

It's definitely time to get rid of all those other addictive things such as reading books, painting, Monopoly, chess, gambling, watching football (American or rest of world), etc.

And forums.

 

[michaelsaxon]

EU's gotta EU.

 

[tonmischa]

Companies have the urge to design products that create as much profit as possible. (That is their "job".)

Societies have the right and the OBLIGATION to protect themselves from the harm these products can cause.
And they also have the right to make the companies pay for the harm that they caused.

 

[Happy_John]

Both things can be true.

Yes, but it is absurd to expect corporations to police themselves in the interest of the general public, and it is also obvious that overuse of social media and compulsive consumption of slop is harmful to the general public, so, much as regulation may seem distasteful, doing nothing except shrugging one's shoulders is not going to achieve anything except more of the same.

Corporations are not answerable to the general public. Governments are. That people do not hold their governments up to answerability is not the same as they cannot.

Giving corporations more control over your life than an elected government is also absurd. Turkeys voting for Christmas.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

Too much government

Not when its something that is affecting people’s mental health due to doomscrolling due to having no page number or a pause where you have to click continue to see more instead of worrying you will miss something if you stop scrolling. At least a way where if we exit the app we don’t lose our place due to random app refreshes.

 

[wanha]

"The Commission's investigation found that Meta... "did not adequately assess the risks of their addictive design on the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors and vulnerable adults""

I disagree. I think Meta fully understood the risks of their addictive design but considered them but a nuisance in their path to creating ever more shareholder value. Both Meta and their shareholders give zero fs about whatever addiction or social damage their products may cause. That's an externality for others to deal with.

 

[boswald]

Whatever happened to discipline and self-control? Sounds like people need to act like adults and govern themselves. Kids are one thing, but adults?