Dutch Court Orders Meta to Simplify Facebook and Instagram Timelines
A Dutch court has ordered Meta Platforms to change how it presents Facebook and Instagram timelines, ruling that users must be given a simple and direct way to opt out of personalized content based on profiling.
The decision, issued on Thursday, found that elements of Meta’s current design violate the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping law intended to curb manipulative digital practices and increase user control over online platforms.
Under the ruling, Meta has two weeks to implement the changes in the Netherlands. Users must be able to select a chronological timeline or another non-profiled feed, and — critically — that choice must remain active instead of resetting when users close the app or browser.
The court said Meta’s practice of automatically reverting users to the algorithmic “recommended content” feed amounted to a “dark pattern”, a manipulative design that limits free choice and infringes on the right to freedom of information.
“People in the Netherlands are not sufficiently able to make free and autonomous choices about the use of profiled recommendation systems,” the court said.
The timing of the ruling was also significant: the court noted that these design practices could influence public opinion ahead of the Dutch general election on October 29, emphasizing the importance of media neutrality and user autonomy.
META TO APPEAL
Meta said it would appeal the decision, insisting it had already made substantial adjustments to comply with the DSA and had notified Dutch users about how to view non-personalized feeds.
“We introduced substantial changes to our systems to meet our regulatory obligations under the DSA,” a Meta spokesperson said. “Proceedings like this threaten the digital single market and the harmonized regulatory regime that should underpin it.”
Meta also argued that such rulings should be handled at the EU level rather than by individual member states, warning that fragmented national court decisions could undermine the DSA’s unified enforcement goals.
DIGITAL RIGHTS GROUP CELEBRATES
The Dutch digital rights organization Bits of Freedom, which filed the case, welcomed the court’s ruling.
“It is unacceptable that a few American tech billionaires can determine how we view the world,” said spokesperson Maartje Knaap, calling the decision a major victory for digital freedom and user rights in Europe.
The ruling marks a new milestone in the EU’s effort to hold global tech firms accountable under the DSA — and could inspire similar challenges in other member states as regulators and courts push for greater transparency and user control in digital platforms.
