Meta ‘violating EU law’ by not keeping minors off Facebook, Instagram
European Commission While the technology giant’s investigations into child safety intensified, it was determined that Meta violated EU laws by not preventing those under the age of 13 from accessing its platforms.
The Commission said on Wednesday that its preliminary investigations concluded that Meta had breached the EU’s Digital Services Act because the 13-year minimum age requirement for Instagram and Facebook was not adequately enforced.
The commission said minors could enter an incorrect date of birth when creating an account and there were no checks to verify this.
The commission also noted that the tool for reporting a minor’s account was “difficult to use” and required up to seven clicks to access the form. The commission found that even when a minor’s account is reported, there is often not enough follow-up or measures to remove that person from the platform.
“The Commission considers that Instagram and Facebook should change their risk assessment methodologies in order to assess what risks arise on Instagram and Facebook in the European Union and how they arise,” the commission announcement said. he said.
A Meta spokesperson told CNBC: “We disagree with these preliminary findings. We are clear that Instagram and Facebook are intended for people 13 and over, and we have measures in place to detect and remove accounts from anyone under that age.”
“We continue to invest in technologies to find and remove underage users and will have more to share next week about additional measures coming soon. Understanding age is an industry-wide challenge that requires an industry-wide solution, and we will continue to work constructively with the European Commission on this important issue.”
Meta can now review the Commission’s preliminary investigation findings and respond in writing. If the commission’s findings are confirmed by the final investigation, Meta could be fined up to 6% of its total annual worldwide turnover.
This comes after two high-profile US court rulings in March: One found that some aspects of the platform’s design contributed to addiction and mental health problems among young people, while the other concluded that the company had misled users about the safety of children on its platforms.
Meanwhile, a blanket social media ban on under-16s is attracting attention from governments around the world after Australia became the first country to impose such a ban.
England, Spain and France are among the countries trying to pass laws to prevent young people under the age of 16 from taking part in social media.
UK regulators also called on social media giants such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook to implement tougher protections for children on their platforms in March.
The Information Commissioner’s Office said platforms should implement better age verification technologies rather than “self-declaration” which can be “easily circumvented”. This may include facial age estimation, digital identification, or one-time photo matching.
Paul Arnold, chief executive of the ICO, said in a letter at the time: “There is growing public concern that the status quo is not working and the industry must do more to protect children. You must take immediate action to identify and implement applicable technologies available to prevent children under your minimum age from accessing your service.”
