Meta · European Union · Facebook · Instagram · NPR Technology
EU confirms Meta is failing to keep underage users off Facebook and Instagram
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LONDON, The European Union accused Meta on Wednesday of failing to stop underage users from accessing Facebook and Instagram, in violation of the bloc's tough digital rules that require social media sites to protect minors.
Key facts
- The EU's executive branch said Meta Platforms lacked effective measures to prevent children younger than 13 from signing up, and that it was not doing enough to identify and remove children
- Meta's own minimum age to open an account on Facebook or Instagram is 13
- Meta disagreed with the decision, saying that it has measures in place to detect and remove accounts for anyone younger than 13
- Brussels is targeting the Meta with the Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of regulations that requires tech companies operating in the 27-nation bloc to do more to clean up online platforms
Summary
The EU's executive branch said Meta Platforms lacked effective measures to prevent children younger than 13 from signing up, and that it was not doing enough to identify and remove children after they had opened accounts. Meta's own minimum age to open an account on Facebook or Instagram is 13. Meta disagreed with the decision, saying that it has measures in place to detect and remove accounts for anyone younger than 13. "Understanding age is an industry-wide challenge, which requires an industry-wide solution, and we will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission on this important issue," the company said adding it will have more to share next week about additional measures it plans to roll out soon.