EU unveils Digital Fairness Act targeting addictive design and AI chatbots

On November 9, 2026, Bloomberg first reported that the European Union was planning a new round of regulatory curbs on social media platforms, targeting addictive features and built-in AI chatbots, in response to growing concerns about social media dependency and AI product compliance across the EU. About thirty minutes later, Techmeme republished the same Bloomberg story with added detail: the EU's draft Digital Fairness Act would require companies to let adults disable addictive features and would take aim at AI chatbot systems that simulate relationships. On November 10, 2026, Eastmoney synthesized reports from multiple outlets that had seen the draft text, saying the European Commission would require companies to let users turn off features that induce compulsive or excessive use—such as autoplay, notifications unrelated to a user's own activity, and streak-style rewards—and would bring AI systems that use simulated relationships to prolong engagement into the regulatory scope. The draft was expected to be published on November 11, a Wednesday, with penalties for violations potentially reaching 6% of global annual revenue; the bill could affect tech giants such as Meta and Google, as well as a range of e-commerce platforms. The same day, cnBeta reported the same draft content, framing product design aimed at capturing user time as the focus of the EU's new wave of regulation. As of now, the draft has not been formally published, and the details remain at the stage of media reporting.