A Portuguese digital rights group, D3, has sued the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, accusing the platforms of using features designed to keep users engaged for long periods.
D3 filed four collective lawsuits at Lisbon’s Civil Court against Meta, ByteDance and Alphabet, the companies that own the affected platforms.
The group said the lawsuits seek to hold the companies accountable and compel them to provide a safer experience for users.
D3 accused the platforms of using features including infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, persistent notifications and highly personalised recommendation systems to keep users coming back.
According to the group, these features remove natural stopping points, continuously deliver personalised content and repeatedly encourage users to return to the platforms.
It argued that the design creates behavioural feedback loops similar to techniques used in the gambling industry.
“Platforms do not have to be hyper-addictive,” D3 President Ricardo Lafuente said.
He said social media could provide a healthier, productive and educational environment if stronger rules were properly enforced against platforms that failed to comply.
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The lawsuits were filed between April and May by law firm Andersen Tax & Legal Iberia but were only disclosed on Thursday following the judicial summer break in Portugal.
Meta, ByteDance and Alphabet had not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment at the time of publication.
The legal action comes amid growing scrutiny of social media platforms in Europe and the United States over their impact on users.
In February, TikTok was charged under European Union rules over allegedly addictive features. Meta also agreed in August to pay up to $18bn to settle US claims related to social media addiction.
The four platforms had a combined monthly reach of about 33 million users in Portugal during the first half of 2026, according to data compiled by SocialMediaTransparency.org.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
