Former Meta executive calls on EU to curb addictive social media features
Former Meta executive and whistleblower Kelly Stonelake called on the European Union not to limit itself to an age ban on social media for minors, but to require technology companies to remove features that encourage compulsive use of platforms. She wrote this in a commentary for The Japan Times.
In Stonelake’s view, platforms should have to prove their services are safe before gaining access to teenage audiences. The author proposes applying a “safety by design” approach, under which responsibility for safe design is placed on companies, similarly to requirements for food and car manufacturers.
Proposals for the EU
At the beginning of July, an independent group presented European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with its final report on protecting children online. A legislative proposal is expected after the summer. According to Stonelake, while several EU states are planning a general age ban, the report recommends directly restricting harmful design elements.
The author included infinite scrolling, autoplay, algorithmic feeds optimized for maximum engagement, and constant push notifications among such features. Stonelake, who worked at Facebook for 15 years, said such mechanisms were created and promoted to increase user activity and profit.
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Australian experience and European Commission action
The author also drew attention to Australia, where users under 16 were banned from having social media accounts in December 2025. According to data cited in the article, a March report by the Australian regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, identified significant gaps in enforcing the ban and recorded no decrease in reports of cyberbullying or image abuse. In April, more than half of children aged 12 to 15 still had active accounts.
Stonelake also mentioned European Commission action under the EU Digital Services Act. In February, the Commission warned TikTok of possible fines of up to 6% of its turnover if the platform does not change a design it considers addictive. In a preliminary finding, the Commission said Meta had not assessed addiction risks linked to infinite scrolling and attention-retention mechanisms.
The author also supported developing interoperability between social platforms so users can move to safer services without losing their contacts. In her view, the future Digital Fairness Act should enshrine the principle of “safety by design” in EU legislation.
