Re: Disable autoplay and infinite scroll or risk massive fines, EU tells Meta

On 2026-07-12, Sylvia Else wrote:

> On 11-July-26 8:44 am, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
>> Social media networks are optimized for what they call “engagement” --
>> that is features that, by their nature, almost invariably lead to
>> addictive behaviour from their users. Because that is an inseparable
>> part of the mechanism by which they earn their revenue.
>>
>> Now the EU regulatory authorities are taking direct aim at these very
>> features of those networks
>> <https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/07/disable-auto-play-and-infinite-scroll-or-risk-massive-fines-eu-tells-meta/>.
>> Can it succeed in reining them in?
>
> Auto-play has always seemed to me to be a fraud on their
> advertisers. And it seems to keep being turned back on.
>
> They can be showing advertisements, and charging for them, when
> there's no one there to watch them.

This is not much different from other usage of advertising. They'll get
paid no matter whether the ad had any effect. So it'd not really be a
different fraud.

-- 
Nuno Silva