European Commission v Meta

The first finding: children under 13

Meta’s terms say that users must be at least 13. The Commission found that Meta had not properly identified, assessed or reduced the risk of younger children using Facebook and Instagram anyway.

It said age checks rely on a birth date the user types in, that the tool for reporting an underage user takes up to seven clicks to reach, is not pre-filled and often leads to no follow-up, and that Meta’s own risk assessment was “incomplete and arbitrary”. It pointed to EU evidence that around 10 to 12% of children under 13 use the services.

It said the finding is preliminary and that the fine, if confirmed, is capped at 6% of turnover. Meta can reply in writing and put the problems right.

The second finding: addictive design

The Commission found that Meta had not adequately assessed the risks that the design of Instagram and Facebook poses to wellbeing, including that of minors and vulnerable adults, and that the measures it had taken were not effective.

The features named were the same family as in the TikTok case: infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and personalised recommendation systems. According to summaries of the finding, the Commission said Meta had overlooked data on minors’ night-time use and on how Reels and Stories drive compulsive use, and that parental controls and wellbeing tips are not enough.

The changes the Commission is looking for include switching infinite scroll and autoplay off by default, effective screen-time breaks, and a less engagement-driven recommender system. Commissioner Henna Virkkunen said that protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms.

The possible penalty

A final decision that Meta is not complying with the DSA can bring a fine of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover, plus periodic penalty payments if it keeps breaching the law. The Commission consults its Board for Digital Services first, and Meta has the right to see the evidence and respond.

What Meta has said

Responding to the July 2026 finding, Meta spokesperson Ben Walters said: “We disagree with these preliminary findings”, which he said “don’t accurately take into account the significant steps we’ve taken to protect teens”, and he pointed to Teen Accounts (reported by Al Jazeera and Cybernews). We have not found a Meta statement on the April 2026 finding. Separate proceedings opened on 30 April 2024 concern deceptive advertising and political content, not minors.

What happens next

Both findings are at the stage where Meta responds. The Commission may then adopt a final decision, close the case, or accept commitments. We will record any decision on our updates page.