Austria social media law

EU Demands Facebook and Instagram Remove Addictive Design Features

The European Union has accused Meta of violating its social media law by designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive and has demanded that key features like infinite scrolling be disabled. The EU’s executive arm stated that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks these design choices pose to users’ mental and physical health, particularly for minors, and that existing controls are easily overridden or difficult to use. Meta denies these claims, highlighting its efforts to protect teens with new account features and parental controls, and has the opportunity to respond before a final decision, which could lead to significant fines.

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Austria Bans Social Media for Under 14s

Austria is set to implement a compulsory minimum age of 14 for social media use, with draft legislation expected by June. This measure aims to protect children from the addictive nature and negative health effects associated with certain online platforms. The government will evaluate platforms based on their algorithms and content, such as “sexualised violence,” to determine inclusion in the ban. This initiative follows a recent US lawsuit finding Google and Meta liable for social media addiction, and similar legislative actions or considerations in countries like France and the broader European Union.

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