European Union (EU) has warned that Meta may be failing to effectively prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing its social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
Meta
The warning followed an investigation conducted under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which found that the company’s age-verification safeguards may be inadequate.
EU regulators said preliminary findings showed that children could easily bypass age restrictions by providing false birth dates during registration.
They also noted that tools for reporting underage users were difficult to locate and use, raising concerns about children’s exposure to inappropriate content and online risks.
EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said platform rules should go beyond written policies.
“Terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users, including children,” Virkkunen said.
Under Meta’s policies, users must be at least 13 years old to create accounts on its platforms.
However, EU officials said the company’s enforcement mechanisms appeared insufficient and did not adequately address the risks posed to younger users.
If the findings are upheld, Meta could face penalties of up to six per cent of its global annual turnover under the Digital Services Act.
The company, however, rejected the allegations, saying it already operates systems designed to detect and remove underage accounts.
Meta added that it would continue to cooperate with EU regulators on the matter.
The investigation, launched in May 2024, forms part of the EU’s wider push to strengthen oversight of major technology firms and improve online safety for children.
Regulators are also reviewing broader platform design concerns, including features they describe as potentially addictive and harmful to users’ wellbeing.
The EU is considering additional measures, including the possibility of introducing a bloc-wide minimum age restriction for social media use, amid growing pressure for tighter child safety regulations online.
