EU proposes new rules to curb addictive app design

The European Commission has proposed a Digital Fairness Act that would require apps and online services to let adults turn off features likely to encourage compulsive or excessive use.

Article 17 would require companies to make those controls easy to find and let users switch features off individually or all at once. The draft covers autoplay, feeds that run without regular breaks and notifications unrelated to a user’s activity. It also covers features that reward people for returning regularly or take away a benefit if they miss a session, as well as automated systems that simulate personal relationships to encourage continued use.

WIRED cited streaks in apps such as Duolingo and Strava as examples of the kinds of features the proposal could cover. The draft calls for an option to turn off qualifying streak features and leaves open what would happen to a streak a user has already built up.

The bill also aims to make subscriptions easier to cancel and paid influencer promotions easier to identify. The European Parliament and the Council will now consider the proposal, the Commission said.