The European Union is concerned about Meta’s failure to protect children on its Facebook and Instagram platforms and has launched a formal investigation that could result in hefty fines.
The study is the latest evidence that regulators are increasingly focusing on the negative impact that meta-platforms and other social media have on young users, including encouraging addictive behavior.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will investigate META’s compliance with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s sweeping new law on online platforms.
The law requires online platforms to take steps to protect children, including preventing access to inappropriate content and ensuring high levels of privacy and security. If companies do not comply, they can be fined up to 6% of their global revenue or forced to change their software. The European Commission said in a statement on Thursday that it was concerned that Facebook and Instagram’s online interfaces “may exploit minors’ vulnerabilities and inexperience, leading to addictive behavior.”
The Commission is also concerned about the age guarantees and verification methods Meta has put in place, it added, noting that these may not be effective.
In a statement shared with CNN, a Meta spokesperson responded, “We want to provide young people with a safe and age-appropriate online experience, and have spent 10 years developing more than 50 tools and policies to protect against the challenges facing the industry as a whole. We look forward to sharing more details of our efforts with the European Commission.”
A report the company submitted to the European Commission last September detailed how its platforms protect minors, but it did not go far enough to allay regulators concerns.
Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a statement that he was “not convinced that (Meta) has acted sufficiently to fulfil its DSA commitments and mitigate the risks of adverse impacts on the physical and mental health of young people in Europe.” “We will spare no effort to protect our children.”
In recent years, Meta has increasingly faced questions about its platform’s impact on young users. The social media giant is being sued by various U.S. school districts and state attorneys general in lawsuits related to youth mental health, child safety, and privacy.
Earlier this month, an investigation by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office into the potential dangers of the Meta platform resulted in the arrest of three men on suspicion of attempted child sexual abuse.
Meta also frequently faces EU regulations over its handling of advertising from fraudsters and foreign election influencers in the upcoming EU elections, as well as its handling of misinformation and illegal content on its platform related to war, It has become a target of the authorities In Gaza.
