Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – The EU said on Wednesday that Meta is failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content and putting the tech giant at risk of a massive fine. The European Union has in recent months stepped up efforts to protect children online, with several member countries considering social media bans for under-16s. The EU executive is also exploring a possible bloc-wide age limit on social media after coming under intense pressure to take broader action following Australia’s groundbreaking ban on using such platforms for under-16s.
In its latest move to enhance protections for children online, the EU stated that a probe showed Meta broke digital content rules and told the US firm to “strengthen” its measures to prevent, detect, and remove under-13s on Facebook and Instagram. Under Meta’s own terms and conditions, the minimum age to access the social media platforms is 13. In its preliminary view, the EU found that Meta had ineffective measures to enforce its own age restrictions. “Terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users — including children,” said EU tech tsar Henna Virkkunen. If the regulator’s views on Meta are confirmed, the EU can impose a fine of up to six percent of the company’s total worldwide annual turnover.
Meta disagreed with the EU’s findings. “We’re clear that Instagram and Facebook are intended for people aged 13 and older and we have measures in place to detect and remove accounts from anyone under that age,” a Meta spokesperson said, adding that the company would continue to engage with the EU.
The EU has vowed to ensure Big Tech gets to grips with the many online dangers for children. In February, it issued an unprecedented warning to China’s TikTok to change its “addictive design” or risk heavy fines. Wednesday’s preliminary findings against Meta come after the EU opened an investigation in May 2024 under the Digital Services Act (DSA), an online content law that has been fiercely criticized by US President Donald Trump’s administration. The DSA is part of reinforced legal weaponry adopted by the EU in recent years to curb what Brussels describes as Big Tech’s excesses.
European regulators found that Meta had “no effective controls” to check if children were simply creating accounts by entering false birth dates. The EU also stated that Meta’s tool to report the presence of children on Facebook or Instagram was “difficult to use and not effective, requiring up to seven clicks just to access the reporting form”. Meta also “inadequately” identified the risks of children under 13 accessing the apps and the potential for exposure to “age-inappropriate experiences”. An EU official noted that the risks to children included “bullying, harassment,” and “violent content”. Brussels added that Meta’s risk assessment “contradicts large bodies of evidence” from across the EU indicating that around 10 to 12 percent of under-13s access the platforms. Meta can avoid fines by offering remedies for the breaches.
The May 2024 probe into Meta is wide-ranging. EU regulators are still looking into how Meta protects users’ physical and mental wellbeing, as well as the “addictive” design of Facebook and Instagram. Alongside the EU’s investigations into online platforms, Brussels this month announced that an EU-developed age-check app was ready to go. During a press conference in Strasbourg, Virkkunen urged EU states to speed up the app’s rollout so that European citizens can use it by the end of 2026.
Wednesday’s moves are part of several measures taken by the EU. Last month, the EU stated that four pornographic platforms, including Pornhub, were allowing children to access adult content and separately launched an investigation into Snapchat over suspected child protection failings.
© 2024 AFP
