Meta Faces Formal Probe by EU Commission over Behavioral Addictions in Children

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into Meta over concerns about child safety risks on its platforms. Specifically, the probe will examine if Meta's platforms can stimulate behavioral addictions in children or create "rabbit-hole effects" that keep users engaged. The Commission is also concerned about Meta's age verification processes and the privacy implications of its recommendation algorithms. If findings show violations, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its annual global revenue under the DSA. The EU has also launched other probes into Meta around election disinformation.