The European Union states that Meta has not effectively prevented children under 13 from accessing its Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The editorial office, citing AP, reports that after an investigation conducted under the Digital Services Act, the European Commission concluded that Meta has serious shortcomings in child protection, age verification, and risk management.
The Digital Services Act, or DSA for short, is a package of rules adopted by the European Union for large online platforms. This law requires companies not only to remove harmful content but also to proactively identify and mitigate systemic risks for users, especially children.
According to the European Commission, Meta's existing age verification mechanisms are insufficient to prevent children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram. The Commission believes that children can easily join the platforms by entering a false date of birth.
According to EU data, it is estimated that approximately 10-12 percent of children under 13 in Europe use Facebook and Instagram. This figure has intensified questions about whether Meta is genuinely enforcing its age restrictions.
The Commission also states that the tools Meta uses to detect underage users and close their accounts are insufficient. Children remaining on the platforms can expose them to risks of cyberbullying, inappropriate content, manipulative design, and potential online exploitation.
Meta, however, has stated that it disagrees with the accusations. The company announced that Facebook and Instagram are intended for users aged 13 and over, and that it invests in technologies to detect and delete underage accounts.
Nevertheless, the Commission does not consider the mere existence of a rule to be sufficient. According to European officials, if a platform sets a 13-year age limit, it must also ensure that this limit is actually enforced.
If the violation is confirmed by a final decision, Meta could be fined up to 6 percent of its global annual revenue. This represents a potential financial risk of billions of dollars for the company.
The investigation not only poses a financial threat to Meta. This process indicates that the responsibility of large technology companies regarding children is entering a stricter phase in Europe. From now on, it may not be enough for platforms to simply say "not for under 13s."
This move by the EU is part of a broader trend. In Europe, issues such as age verification on social networks, algorithmic recommendations for children, addictive design, and parental controls are increasingly becoming part of a stricter regulatory agenda.
Meta's main option now is to strengthen its technical systems, tighten age verification, and update its risk assessments targeting children. Otherwise, the company could face both a large fine and heavier regulatory pressure in the European market.