The European Union accused Meta this Wednesday (29) of violating the rules of the European bloc and its own conditions by allowing access to Instagram and Facebook for children under 13 years of age.
The accusation is part of the preliminary conclusions of an investigation launched two years ago by the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, into Meta, which could result in a fine equivalent to 6% of the group’s annual revenue. Big tech stated that it disagrees with the EU and that it has measures to remove accounts from children under 13 years of age.
In recent months, the commission has tried to reinforce the protection of minors on the internet and is considering implementing a minimum age for access to social networks across the block. Several European Union countries are studying similar measures, following the example of Australia, which banned the use of these platforms by children under 16 years of age.
In the case of Meta, the European Executive highlights that the company itself “sets the minimum age at 13 years old to access Instagram and Facebook in complete safety.”
The commission states that the group’s measures to enforce these restrictions are not effective and that, for example, it does not carry out any effective controls “to verify the self-declared date of birth” of new users.
“We are very clear: Instagram and Facebook are aimed at people aged 13 and over, and we have implemented measures to detect and remove minors’ accounts,” said a Meta spokesperson, consulted by AFP.
“We continue to invest in technologies that allow us to identify and remove underage user accounts,” added the spokesperson, who indicated that additional measures will soon be announced.
The European Commission cites “a broad body of evidence from across the European Union that indicates that between 10% and 12% of children under 13 access Instagram and/or Facebook.”
It also accuses the company of failing to comply with its obligations to assess and minimize the risks to minors imposed by the European regulation on digital services, the DSA.
“Meta appears to have ignored widely available scientific evidence that indicates that younger people are more vulnerable to the potential harm caused by these services,” the commission said.
Meta says it has measures in place to detect and remove accounts of children under 13, and that it will announce additional measures next week.
“Understanding age is an industry-wide challenge that requires an industry-wide solution, and we will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission on this important issue,” said a Meta spokesperson.
The EU has launched several procedures to protect children and teenagers online. A month ago, an investigation began into Snapchat, one of teenagers’ favorite platforms, which it also criticizes for not verifying the age of its users.
It also demanded that TikTok modify its interface as it considered it “addictive” and potentially harmful to users’ well-being.
This same month, Brussels presented an age verification application that it made available to member countries that want to restrict minors’ access to social networks.
Source: www.noticiasaominuto.com.br
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