What is the EU's crackdown on autoplay and infinite scroll, and why Meta is in the crosshairs

The European Union has told Meta it must disable features such as autoplay and infinite scroll on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, or face the possibility of steep fines. The demand comes under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU's sweeping legal framework for regulating online platforms.

Autoplay refers to a video automatically starting the next clip once one ends, without any action from the user. Infinite scroll means a content feed that, in theory, never ends — new content keeps loading as the user keeps scrolling down. Both features are widely used design techniques across the industry, engineered to extend the amount of time users spend on a platform.

EU officials argue that these kinds of design choices undermine users' deliberate choices and artificially extend how long they stay on a platform. Under the DSA, such practices fall into the category of manipulative "dark patterns" designed to steer users, and are a particular focus for regulators.

A key part of the DSA prohibits platforms from using design tricks intended to nudge users toward specific behaviors. The law covers designs meant to make it harder for users to leave a service, complicate privacy settings, or pull users back to a platform through distracting notifications.

Penalties for non-compliant companies can be severe. Under the DSA, companies that break the rules can be fined up to a set percentage of their global annual revenue, which for major tech companies could amount to billions of euros.

Meta has made some changes in response to similar regulatory demands in the past while pushing back on others. How the company will respond to this latest demand is not yet clear, though industry observers note that major platforms have generally shown gradual compliance with DSA requirements.

Experts say the core motivation behind this regulation is user wellbeing. Research suggests that long stretches of time spent on social media platforms can negatively affect attention spans and mental health, particularly among younger users.

This regulatory push isn't aimed solely at Meta — the DSA framework could set a precedent for other major platforms that use similar design techniques. While regulators have chosen autoplay and infinite scroll as an initial target, other engagement-boosting features such as notification design and algorithmic content recommendations are expected to face scrutiny in the future.

Industry analysts stress that regulation like this could directly affect platforms' revenue models. Because user engagement time is closely tied to advertising revenue, removing these features could lead to a measurable drop in companies' earnings.

Experts predict the EU's move could set a global precedent, with regulators in other countries potentially beginning to consider similar rules. Ultimately, this case is shaping up to be an important test of how the tension between platform design and user autonomy gets resolved.