The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, on Wednesday accused Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, of failing to adequately protect young children from the harms of social media.

The Commission stated that Meta allegedly breached its own rules, which require users to be at least 13 years old to create accounts. A preliminary investigation found that the company does not sufficiently enforce or regulate this age restriction.

EU digital chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized that “terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users, including children.”

The investigation revealed that minors under 13 can easily bypass the age requirement by entering a false birth date, with no effective controls in place to verify it. Additionally, the tool for reporting underage users is reportedly difficult to use, requiring up to seven clicks to access a reporting form that is not pre-filled with user information.

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) provides the legal framework to tackle illegal content online. The Commission claims Meta violated the DSA, potentially leading to significant fines. The EU generally favors regulation over outright bans to protect children online.

Source: www.dw.com