Can the EU Force Meta to Protect Minors Like US States Did?

The US agreement, finalized on August 26, mandates that Meta restrict minors to a combined two hours of daily access on Facebook and Instagram while disabling notifications during late-night hours. California attorney general Rob Bonta championed the move as a vital step in mitigating harm to children. This development mirrors the European Commission’s ongoing scrutiny under the Digital Services Act, where officials have already preliminarily concluded that Meta’s platform architecture fosters addictive behavior.

While the American legal push targeted specific harms to minors, the EU’s approach remains broader, encompassing demands to disable infinite scrolling and autoplay features for all users. The European Commission is currently awaiting Meta's formal response to its findings. Should the company fail to satisfy regulators, the EU could escalate by imposing significant fines or enforcing structural changes. Although European officials emphasize that their goal is results rather than a competition for the largest penalty, critics argue that even the US-style restrictions fail to address the deeper influence of algorithms that promote extreme content. Consequently, the EU may leverage its existing legislation to push for more comprehensive behavioral reforms than those recently accepted across the Atlantic.