Translated material
The European Commission accused Meta of violating the Digital Services Act
The European Commission said Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta, breached the Digital Services Act, alleging Meta failed to take effective measures to prevent under-13s from accessing its platforms. This is stated in the preliminary results of the investigation into the company.
"Although Meta's own terms of use set the minimum age for safe access to Instagram and Facebook at 13 years old, the company's enforcement of these restrictions appears to be ineffective," the EC said in a statement.
As an example, the lack of effective mechanisms for verifying the user's age is indicated - the statement notes that minors can indicate a false year of birth when registering. The European Commission called the Meta tool for reporting users under 13 years of age “complex and ineffective.”
"Meta's assessment contradicts extensive data from across the European Union indicating that approximately 10-12% of children under 13 use Instagram and/or Facebook," the statement said.
A Meta spokesman said the company does not agree with the preliminary findings of the investigation.
"We are clear that Instagram and Facebook are intended for people aged 13 and over, and we have measures in place to identify and remove accounts of users under this age. We continue to invest in technology to identify and remove underage users and will share more information next week about new measures that will be introduced soon," The Guardian quoted him as saying.
A company spokesman added that determining the age of users is "an industry-wide problem that requires an industry-wide solution." According to him, Meta continues “constructive interaction” with the European Commission.
As noted in the EC statement, Meta can now familiarize itself with the investigation materials and submit a written response. If the European Commission's findings are ultimately confirmed, it will be able to officially recognize the company as a violator and impose a fine.
The European Commission accused Meta of violating the Digital Services Act