The EU has formally accused Meta of engineering Facebook and Instagram to hook users, and the bill could run to $12 billion.
The European Commission issued preliminary findings Friday alleging that Meta deliberately built addictive features — including autoplay and infinite scroll — into its two flagship platforms in violation of the Digital Services Act. The findings give Meta a formal window to respond before Brussels renders a final decision. If the Commission rules against Meta, the company faces fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue. Based on Meta's 2025 turnover of roughly $201 billion, that ceiling sits around $12 billion.
The DSA's addictive-design provisions have been on the books for years, but this is one of the clearest tests yet of whether the Commission will use them with teeth. A finding against Meta would set a binding precedent for how platforms across the EU design recommendation feeds, video players, and scroll mechanics — features that are now standard across the entire social media industry.
Meta has seen this playbook before: the company has faced repeated EU enforcement actions over data practices, and has learned that preliminary findings don't always become final ones. Expect a lengthy response, a lobbying push, and a settlement offer before anyone writes a $12 billion check.