The European Union (EU) has stated that Meta Platforms, the operator of Facebook and Instagram, faces the same issues in Europe as it does in the United States, and expects the company to take necessary measures to protect minors in Europe as well.

According to AFP, Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Commission, said on the 27th (local time) that following Meta's related settlement in the U.S., new discussions have been held with Meta, emphasizing that the company must address the "addictive design" issues of its platforms in Europe as well.

According to settlement documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on the 26th, Meta agreed to pay approximately $16.7 billion (about 23.1 trillion won) and strengthen youth protection measures to resolve lawsuits brought by U.S. state governments alleging that Meta induced youth addiction to social media.

"The ball is now in Meta's court," Regnier stressed, adding, "Meta knows what we expect, and it is now time for them to make these same commitments in the EU to protect children here as well."

He pointed out that the European Commission is investigating Meta over the exact same allegations raised in the U.S., explaining that ongoing talks are being held with Meta to provide EU children with "at least an equivalent level of protection as in the U.S."

He added that appropriate screen time management features and parental control tools are expected to be put in place.

The EU warned Meta last month that its own investigation concluded Meta's "addictive design" features—such as infinite scrolling, auto-play, push notifications, and personalized algorithms continuously recommending new content—pose risks to minors and vulnerable adults, and that failure to rectify these issues could result in hefty fines.

If Meta fails to address the EU's concerns, the EU could impose fines of up to 6 percent of Meta's total global annual turnover.

While stating that it disagrees with the EU's investigative findings, Meta noted that it will constructively engage in discussions on the matter.

Meanwhile, Poland, an EU member state, separately announced that it has requested the EU to impose a 250 million euro (about 400 billion won) fine on Meta, citing the company's failure to properly address fraudulent advertisements.

According to Reuters, Polish Digital Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated during a press conference that day, "We have solid evidence that Meta is not putting users' interests first, but rather pursuing its own profits and allowing deceptive ads to generate revenue. It is time to move beyond mere verbal calls for improvement and impose sanctions."

He also urged Meta to immediately introduce effective tools to eliminate scams, false advertisements, and the promotion of illegal applications.