World News for Students of English

29-06-2026 07:00

The European Commission is set to escalate its official investigation into Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

According to recent reports, EU regulators are preparing preliminary findings that accuse the tech giant of using addictive design practices specifically to keep children hooked on its social media platforms. This move follows previous charges from April, where the EU accused Meta of breaching tech rules and failing to block children under 13 from accessing its networks. The commission is now considering strict new restrictions next month after receiving recommendations from an expert panel.

Meanwhile, Meta is facing massive legal pressure globally. In the US, the company is lobbying Congress for legal immunity against claims of harming children, especially after a landmark court verdict found both Meta and Google negligent in designing platforms harmful to youth.

Difficult words: preliminary (coming before the main or final part of something, like the first quick results of a big test), hooked (unable to stop doing or using something because you like it too much and are addicted to it), lobby (to try very hard to talk to and persuade politicians to change a law to help your company), negligent (failing to take enough care of something you are responsible for, which then causes harm to others).

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