EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA • Hacker News Board

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#91

Post by clickety_clack » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:14 PM UTC

verisimi wrote: post #88

eleventen wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a wild take. Most serious media companies would collapse without online ad revenue. Google would be dead, along with all the products that sorta run the world like maps. But even local publications, like your independent city news site, which you presumably think is good, also die instantly. The ladder is also pulled up behind any kind of independent quality content producers. You cant run a successful channe…

Oh no, would Google and Meta be dead? How will we manage?!

Why do you think podcasters give you recommendations for mattresses?

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#92

Post by amelius » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:15 PM UTC

eleventen wrote: post #83

littlecranky67 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Online advertisements should be forbidden as a whole. The attention-stealing and engagement-maximising internet with all it horribly effects only exist, due to advertising. And we know that the world without online ads is perfectly possible and livable, since we all lived through 1996.

This is a wild take. Most serious media companies would collapse without online ad revenue. Google would be dead, along with all the products that sorta run the world like maps. But even local publications, like your independent city news site, which you presumably think is good, also die instantly. The ladder is also pulled up behind any kind of independent quality content producers. You cant run a successful channe…

Did you not read:

> And we know that the world without online ads is perfectly possible and livable, since we all lived through 1996.

We're in an information crisis. Most people don't know what is true or false anymore. Google and Meta didn't make it better and in fact might have contributed to it. I'd say let's go back to 1996.

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#93

Post by runarberg » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:19 PM UTC

YurgenJurgensen wrote: post #90

justapassenger wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You do realize that sponsored stories aren’t modern invention? Magazines were full of it too, sometimes disclosed, most often not.

And? They’d be banned too.

In fact they were, and perhaps even still are, however regulators have simply stopped enforcing consumer protection laws in the past 20 years. Neo-liberalism reigns supreme and Ronald Regan became the king of Europe.

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#94

Post by varispeed » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:35 PM UTC

These apps should be banned or be forced to only show feeds from accounts you follow in chronological order, nothing more. Perhaps with some basic search if you want to discover something new, but cumbersome enough so that you don't spend hours on it.

I know someone he keeps scrolling the minute they wake up. They are behind on chores, life stuff, but keep scrolling.

That wouldn't be too bad in itself if not for sheer amount of misinformation that is being served. Especially health related. Thanks to AI enhanced videos showing parasites everywhere, person now has developed eating disorder and thinks their poor health is due to parasites and not the fact they spend whole day on Instagram. Now they started ordering "supplements" and "courses" those people peddle. I tried to report these accounts, but Meta insist they are no breaching any T&C.

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#95

Post by inigyou » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:36 PM UTC

mc32 wrote: post #79

YurgenJurgensen wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

…and nothing of value would be lost.

Mostly true but there are a few good channels with very practical information for picking up new skills (gardening, woodwork, playing an instrument, etc) as well as looking up troubleshooting information. Those too would be lost. Sure some drag out three minutes into fifteen, but whatever…

If it's really that good, you'll pay for it with the money you saved in advertising. You're paying for the ads, don't forget. Plenty of people used to pay for things like woodworking classes, back when there was money. Doing a woodworking class in person at a woodworking shop will teach you much better than youtube.

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#96

Post by WarmWash » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:36 PM UTC

EPWN3D wrote: post #63

The addictive design is in service of ads. Instead of regulating software, tax ad revenue to disincentivize building a business model around user profiling and tracking.

The downside to this is that services become class based again then.

Instagram is the same service for everyone, regardless if you are homeless or a billionaire, it is exactly because it is an ad based model. Same for google and facebook.

These models are "classless business" incarnate, and people absolutely hate them. It's part bewildering and part bemusing.

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#97

Post by rcMgD2BwE72F » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:37 PM UTC

clickety_clack wrote: post #91

verisimi wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh no, would Google and Meta be dead? How will we manage?!

Why do you think podcasters give you recommendations for mattresses?

[flagged]

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#98

Post by inigyou » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:37 PM UTC

testing22321 wrote: post #24

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #12

Forcing social media apps to have a less addictive design is a much better way to protect young people's brains than a social media age limit is (and frankly adults need help here too).

Forcing alcoholic drinks to have a less addictive product is a much better way to protect young people’s brains than an alcohol age limit is (and frankly adults need help there too).

Young people are drinking much less alcohol now. Some people call it a crisis. It's probably related to the reason they date less and have less sex and do less of all the other things you're not supposed to do but people did anyway, and that reason probably has something to do with social media taking their attention instead.

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#99

Post by inigyou » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:38 PM UTC

aurareturn wrote: post #85

alpineman wrote: post #38

Just ban the discovery feed. Search only.

Agreed. HN feed is also addictive. EU should ban HN feed and only allow searching for new posts. Quite honestly, I've been addicted to using my air fryer for cooking nowadays. The design is too good and convenient and the food comes out too tasty. I think EU should focus on making them less addictive.

HN openly violates GDPR and is proud of it. Why would they follow this?

Re: EU Commission: addictive design Instagram and Facebook in breach of the DSA

#100

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:39 PM UTC

inigyou wrote: post #98

testing22321 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Forcing alcoholic drinks to have a less addictive product is a much better way to protect young people’s brains than an alcohol age limit is (and frankly adults need help there too).

Young people are drinking much less alcohol now. Some people call it a crisis. It's probably related to the reason they date less and have less sex and do less of all the other things you're not supposed to do but people did anyway, and that reason probably has something to do with social media taking their attention instead.

[deleted]