Meta told it's violating EU law by not doing enough to keep children off Facebook and Instagram

The European Commission has issued a stern warning to Meta, stating that the tech giant has not done enough to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing its popular platforms, Facebook and Instagram. As concerns over child safety continue to mount, the Commission's preliminary investigation concluded that Meta has violated the EU's Digital Services Act due to insufficient enforcement of its minimum age policy. According to the Commission, the current system allows minors to easily bypass age restrictions by entering false birth dates during account creation, with no effective verification measures in place. Furthermore, the process for reporting underage accounts has been criticized as cumbersome, requiring users to navigate through multiple steps before they can submit a report. Even when such accounts are flagged, the Commission highlighted a lack of adequate follow-up actions to remove them from the platforms. The Commission emphasized the need for Meta to reassess its risk management strategy regarding the safety of users on Instagram and Facebook, specifically within the European market. In response, a Meta spokesperson expressed disagreement with the findings, asserting that their platforms are designed for individuals aged 13 and older. The spokesperson also mentioned ongoing efforts to enhance technology aimed at detecting and eliminating underage accounts, promising further updates in the near future. Meta now has the opportunity to review these preliminary findings and submit a written response. Should the final investigation uphold the Commission's initial conclusions, the company could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue. This scrutiny follows two significant court rulings in the U.S. earlier this year, which found that certain design elements of Meta's platforms contributed to addiction and mental health issues among teenagers, as well as allegations of misleading users regarding the safety of children on their services.