EU Targets Addictive Social Media, AI Chatbot Features in Draft Law

The European Union is preparing a Digital Fairness Act that would target social-media and AI features designed to keep people engaged for excessive periods. Under the draft, adults would have to be able to switch off features that encourage compulsive use. The rules would also address AI systems that imitate personal relationships in order to prompt users to keep chatting. The proposals could affect major services from Meta, Google and TikTok, whose business models rely in part on sustained user attention. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 6% of their worldwide annual revenue.

The draft is expected to be presented Wednesday and would add to existing EU scrutiny of platform design. Meta and TikTok are already under investigation over suspected addictive features under the Digital Services Act, the bloc’s content-moderation law. Separately, the Commission plans to pursue a “safe by design” approach for social networks and AI services through a broader Kids Act, which would also restrict social-media use by young teens. Together, the initiatives signal a shift from focusing mainly on harmful content toward regulating product features and interaction patterns that may encourage excessive use or cultivate emotional attachment.