European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has put social media's "addictive design" squarely in Brussels's crosshairs. Speaking in Copenhagen on Tuesday, she warned that risks such as sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, and self-harm are multiplying fast—and that they are no accident. "They are the result of business models that treat our children's attention as a commodity," she said.
The upcoming Digital Fairness Act, expected later this year, will specifically target these design practices. The announcement follows the Commission's February ruling that TikTok's interface breaches EU law, and a landmark California jury verdict against Google and Meta in a case brought by a 20-year-old woman who claimed her social media addiction worsened her mental health. Meta is now seeking to overturn that ruling.
How Platforms Engineer Compulsion
Experts argue that social media platforms are structurally similar to slot machines. Natasha Schull, an associate professor at New York University, points to unpredictable rewards—likes, comments, notifications—that trigger rapid feedback loops. Christian Montag, a professor at the University of Macau, adds that features like the "like" button, "For You" pages, and infinite scroll drive compulsive use. "Getting a like feels good," Montag told Euronews Next. "Then they want to feel good again, so they post something again, which can lead to habit formation."
TikTok intensifies this with autoplay and short-form videos, creating an even faster reward cycle. "The human brain responds strongly to novelty, and here something new is happening all 15 seconds," Montag said. The European Commission warned that users slip into "autopilot mode," passively consuming content rather than engaging actively. Daria Kuss, a programme leader at Nottingham Trent University, links this pattern to poorer mental health, including addiction, social comparison, and loneliness.
TikTok has rejected the Commission's characterization, calling its findings "categorically false" and pointing to screen-time controls and other tools for users to regulate their usage.
Changing the Business Model
Both Schull and Montag argue that the core problem is the advertising-driven business model, which rewards maximizing engagement. "If you ask [social media companies], are you intentionally designing to addict people, they'd say absolutely not, we're intentionally designing to optimise engagement," Schull said. She and Montag suggest shifting to subscription models, where users pay a small fee and platforms no longer depend on personal data tracking. Montag's research shows that while people are initially reluctant to pay, they become more willing when they learn it could reduce screen time or fund fact-checking.
Another possibility is directing public funding toward alternative platforms. The European Data Protection Supervisor tried this in 2022 with EU Voice and EU Video, but both shut down in 2024 due to lack of funding. The Public Spaces Incubator, a group of public broadcasters from Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and other countries, has developed over 100 prototypes to improve online conversation. One example from Canada's CBC features a "public square view" that lets users watch together and comment with nuanced options like "respectfully disagree" or "made me think."
Schull believes meaningful change may only come through legal action. "If you're a designer and you're working for a company, your purpose is to increase engagement … and the only way I think that that is going to be stopped is if there are just cold and hard limits put on it, limits on time and access and age," she said.
Meanwhile, the Fediverse—a decentralized network of platforms like Mastodon, Pixelfed, and PeerTube—offers alternatives without adverts or data sharing. But these remain niche. As the EU prepares its Digital Fairness Act, the question is whether regulation can truly break the algorithm's grip, or whether users must seek out new digital spaces themselves. For a deeper look at the legal battles, see our coverage of French Families Sue TikTok for Algorithmic 'Abuse of Weakness' and Meta Seeks to Overturn Landmark US Social Media Addiction Verdict.
