Meta faces a fine of up to 6% of global revenue: what Brussels wants changed on Facebook and Instagram

On 10 July 2026, the European Commission concluded, at a preliminary stage, that Meta breaches the Digital Services Act through addictive features on Facebook and Instagram: infinite scroll, video autoplay, push notifications and a hyper-personalised recommendation algorithm. A fine of up to 6% of Meta's global annual revenue is on the table. The requested changes apply to the EU versions of both platforms, used by hundreds of millions of people, including Belgian audiences. Here is what these announcements mean for a company investing in Meta advertising.

1. What Brussels holds against Meta

After a two-year investigation, the European Commission finds that Facebook and Instagram's design itself drives compulsive use. It points to infinite scroll, video autoplay, push notifications and algorithmic content personalisation. Brussels also considers current screen-time tools insufficient: warnings are too easily dismissed, and parental controls are judged too complex for parents to genuinely use. These preliminary findings aren't final, Meta has a deadline to respond formally.

2. The requested changes, still provisional

If confirmed, Meta would have to disable infinite scroll and autoplay by default, introduce genuine screen breaks, and adjust its recommendation algorithm to rely less on user engagement. With Meta's global revenue at around $160 billion in 2025, a 6% fine would amount to several billion euros. These requirements target the EU versions of both platforms, so they also concern audiences and advertisers active in Belgium.

3. Why advertisers are exposed too, not just users

Many Meta ad formats rely on the same mechanics the investigation targets: video autoplay, delivery optimised around engagement signals (time spent, video completion), algorithmic recommendation. If Meta adjusts these mechanics in the coming months, some of the metrics used to steer campaigns, cost per result, video completion rate, organic reach, could shift. Nothing is settled yet, but a company concentrating most of its ad budget on autoplay video formats should watch performance closely in the coming weeks.

4. What to watch starting now

• The share of your Meta budget that depends on autoplay video formats.
• Week-on-week movement in cost per result across your active campaigns.
• How your ad budget is split between Meta, LinkedIn, Google, TikTok and Amazon.
• Targeting settings if part of your audience includes minors.

The AI lens, people first

AI can continuously track cost per result, reach and video completion rate on your Meta campaigns, and flag any deviation as soon as a platform change starts to produce a measurable effect. But deciding to reallocate budget to another channel, choosing which formats to retest, and judging whether a signal deserves an immediate response stay human calls. Our stance: AI executes, expertise decides and watches.