The European Union is set to introduce the Digital Fairness Act later this year, targeting what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls the "addictive and harmful design practices" of social media platforms. In a speech in Copenhagen, von der Leyen stated these risks are not accidental but result from business models that treat children's attention as a commodity. The move follows a February ruling by the Commission that TikTok's design breaches EU law.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a California jury ruled in favor of a 20-year-old woman who claimed her addiction to Meta and Google platforms worsened her mental health. Meta has requested the ruling be overturned.
Experts argue social media platforms are engineered for compulsive use. Features like infinite scroll, autoplay videos, and unpredictable rewards mimic slot machines, driving habit formation and addictive behavior. The European Commission warns users slip into "autopilot mode," passively consuming content, which is linked to poorer mental health.
Alternatives exist. The Fediverse, a decentralized network connecting platforms like Mastodon, Pixelfed, and PeerTube, offers ad-free, data-tracking-free experiences. However, experts say meaningful change may require legal limits on time, access, and age, shifting the burden from consumer self-regulation to platform responsibility.