TECH NEWS – Two of Mark Zuckerberg’s platforms are being investigated by the European Union for being likely to cause addiction in children (the same action is being taken against TikTok, whose investigation began in February).

Facebook and Instagram are being investigated for their potential to be addictive and therefore have a negative impact on children’s mental and physical health. The European Commission says that Meta is not taking the necessary steps to protect them. They do not comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law that imposes certain rules and restrictions on a range of digital services and platforms.

Meta’s apps have been accused of creating “behavioral addiction” in underage users, creating the rabbit hole effect. This occurs when a user is continuously provided with related, relevant content that can develop an addiction based on an algorithm. As a result, the minor would spend too much time on the platform and, as a result of the addiction, would find it difficult to disconnect from it, preventing them from performing their daily tasks.

The investigation into Instagram and Facebook will also look at whether Meta is doing all it can to protect minors from inappropriate content, and how the company’s algorithm and recommendation system work. If Zuckerberg’s company violates the DSA, the European Union could impose fines of up to 6% of the company’s annual revenue. Meta claims that the company has spent a long time developing tools to protect children, while the EU says it will leave no stone unturned to protect young people.

The initiative is a good one: if we see a young person spending too much time on an app (such as TikTok, which is popular with younger people), it really makes sense to use these procedures to force change.

Source: WCCFTech, European Commission