Meta teen safeguards demanded by EU lawmakers

European Union lawmakers have urged the European Commission to force Meta to change what they called the addictive design of its platforms in Europe, after the company agreed to impose new limits on teenagers' use of Facebook and Instagram in some US states.

The demand came in a letter dated Wednesday from French EU lawmaker Stephanie Yon-Courtin and signed by 51 other members of the European Parliament. It was addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The lawmakers said the Commission, the EU's digital regulator, should conclude its probe into Meta without delay with a non-compliance decision and penalties. They said any commitments accepted from Meta should not fall short of what the company has granted to American users.

Meta agreed last month to pay a coalition of US states as much as $16.7 billion and to impose new limits on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram, including an automatic night-time block, as part of a court settlement.

The EU told Meta in July to change its alleged addictive design in findings the company said at the time that it disagreed with. The EU began its probe into Meta in 2024 under the Digital Services Act.

EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the Commission remained committed to ensuring change as talks continue with Meta. "We'll not settle with one or two inbuilt safeguards, this is not enough," he said. "We tackle the core design features of these platforms."

The MEPs also suggested the EU should be ready to ask a court to block access to platforms temporarily if necessary, once other powers have been exhausted and where an infringement persists and causes serious harm. They said this would not be censorship or a ban on a social network.

The EU is due to announce some form of ban on social media for children later this month, although the full details are not yet known.