EU to ramp up Meta probe into addictive design, Bloomberg News reports

June 23 (Reuters) – The European Commission is set to escalate a probe into Meta Platforms that alleges its social media offerings are designed to be addictive to children, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Instagram parent has been under fire over concerns about the impact of its platforms on young users’ wellbeing and online safety.

Here are some details:

• The European Commission is preparing preliminary findings that accuse Meta’s Facebook and Instagram of using design practices that keep young users hooked, the report said.

• Regulators have not set a date for when the findings will be announced, Bloomberg News reported.

• Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment, while a spokesperson for the European Commission declined to comment. Reuters could not independently verify the report.

• The commission is considering curbs similar to those announced by the UK and other countries, after an expert panel delivers recommendations next month, the report said.

• The commission first opened a probe into the company under the Digital Services Act in May 2024, due to concerns it had not adequately addressed risks to children.

• In April, the EU charged Meta with breaching its tech rules and said the tech giant must do more to block children under 13 from accessing the social networks.

• In the U.S., Meta has lobbied Congress for legal immunity from child-harm claims as the tech giant faces thousands of lawsuits from young users and their families, Reuters exclusively reported last week.

• A Los Angeles jury reached a landmark verdict in March, finding Meta and Alphabet’s Google negligent for designing social media platforms harmful to the youth.

(Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)