The investigation, announced on Thursday, centers around concerns that the platforms may not be doing enough to protect the mental and physical well-being of young users.

The probe specifically examines whether Facebook and Instagram’s design and algorithms contribute to “behavioural addictions” and “rabbit hole effects” in children. 

These terms describe how users, especially minors, can get sucked into endless loops of content, potentially leading to harmful behaviour or negative mental health impacts. 

Again, the EU is questioning the effectiveness of Meta’s age verification tools, suspecting the platform might be too easily bypassed.

The investigation will also assess whether Meta’s content moderation and recommendation systems adequately safeguard children from inappropriate content. 

Officials are particularly concerned about content promoting depression or unrealistic body image. Furthermore, the EU will investigate Meta’s default privacy settings for minors, aiming to ensure a high level of protection for young users.

If the EU finds Meta in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), the company could face huge fines up to 6% of its global revenue. 

The investigation authorizes the EU to conduct inspections, gather further evidence, and potentially impose interim measures while the probe continues. There’s no set deadline for the proceedings, but the EU is focused on protecting the well-being of young users online.

This investigation comes at a time of similar EU probes into Meta’s advertising practices and its approach to election integrity on Facebook and Instagram. 

The EU is clearly sending a message that it expects major online platforms to prioritize user safety, particularly when it comes to the most vulnerable users – children.

This is the second such investigation against the popular social media platform in recent months.

The Commission is concerned that TikTok may have violated the Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to conduct a proper risk assessment before launching TikTok Lite. This assessment, required by the DSA, should have identified and mitigated potential risks associated with the platform, particularly those related to addiction and user safety.

The European Commission’s investigation focuses on three key areas related to the social platform’s launch of TikTok Lite with its “Task and Reward Program.” Firstly, the Commission wants to determine if TikTok failed to fulfil its obligation under the DSA. 

This obligation requires platforms to conduct a risk assessment and submit a report before launching any new features that could impact potential risks. In this case, the concern is that TikTok didn’t properly assess the risks associated with the “Task and Reward Program” on TikTok Lite.

Secondly, the investigation delves into the potential harm this program might cause, particularly to minors. The Commission is concerned that the program’s incentive structure, designed to encourage user engagement through rewards, could have addictive qualities. This raises worries about the potential negative impact on mental health, especially for younger users on the platform.

Finally, the investigation will examine the measures TikTok has taken, if any, to mitigate these potential risks. Of particular interest is whether TikTok has implemented sufficient safeguards considering the suspected shortcomings in their age verification mechanisms. If these mechanisms are inadequate, it could exacerbate the potential harm to young users.

If the investigation finds TikTok in violation of the DSA, the company could face fines of up to 1% of its global annual revenue. Additionally, the Commission may impose a temporary ban on the TikTok Lite reward program in the EU.

The Commission has requested that TikTok submit the missing risk assessment report and information about its mitigation measures by April 23rd and May 3rd, respectively. TikTok also has until April 24th to respond to the proposed suspension of the reward program.

The DSA, aimed at regulating online platforms, designated TikTok as a “Very Large Online Platform” in April 2023 due to its large user base within the EU. This designation comes with obligations related to risk management and user safety.

The current investigation builds upon an earlier proceeding launched in February 2024 which examined TikTok’s compliance with the DSA regarding data access, advertising transparency, and content moderation practices.