Meta Ordered By Dutch Court To Change Facebook And Instagram Timelines Under EU DSA

A Dutch court has ordered Meta to adjust how Facebook and Instagram timelines operate, ruling that the company’s algorithm-based feeds violate the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

According to Reuters, the court determined that Meta must offer users simpler alternatives, such as chronological timelines or other non-profiled options. Currently, both apps revert to algorithm-driven feeds whenever users log back in.

“People in the Netherlands are not sufficiently able to make free and autonomous choices about the use of profiled recommendation systems,” the court said in its ruling.

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The case was filed by Bits of Freedom, a Dutch digital rights organisation. Speaking on behalf of the group, Maartje Knaap criticised the tech giant’s influence over user experiences.

“It is unacceptable that a few American tech billionaires can determine how we view the world,” Knaap stated.

If Meta fails to comply, the company could face fines of $117,450 per day, capped at $5.8 million.

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Meta has confirmed it will appeal the decision, arguing that enforcement of the DSA should fall under the European Commission rather than individual national courts.

“Proceedings like this threaten the digital single market and the harmonized regulatory regime that should underpin it,” a spokesperson for the tech company said.

Since its introduction in 2022, the DSA has repeatedly placed Big Tech under scrutiny, with the European Commission issuing heavy fines to major companies, including Apple, Alphabet, and Meta, over compliance and privacy concerns.

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