Meta confronts Brazil court dispute and EU safety‑by‑design regulatory push

Meta's WhatsApp service was ordered by a Brazilian court to be blocked for two days in 2016, a move that preceded the arrest of Facebook South‑America vice president Diego Zodan. The incident sparked a public clash between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Brazil's government, with Zuckerberg posting calls for public support that were later edited after pressure from the president’s office.

At the same time, European regulators are advancing legislation to curb harmful design features of social‑media platforms. A recent EU commission report urges a "safety‑by‑design" approach, proposes stricter age‑restriction rules, and threatens fines of up to 6 % of revenue for non‑compliance. Countries such as Australia, Canada, Spain, Brazil and Germany are also debating measures to protect minors from addictive platform features.

These parallel developments highlight growing global scrutiny of Meta's practices, from legal actions in Brazil to impending regulatory frameworks in the EU and other nations.