• The EU has accused Meta of failing to prevent users under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram.
• Regulators found that 10-12% of underage children are using these platforms.
• Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue if violations are confirmed.
• The company disagrees with the EU's findings and plans to announce additional measures next week.
• EU officials stress that terms and conditions must lead to concrete actions protecting children.

The European Union (EU) has formally accused Meta of inadequately enforcing rules to block children under the age of 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram. This accusation stems from a two-year investigation which revealed that Meta's measures were ineffective in preventing these underage users from signing up for the platforms, violating the bloc's strict Digital Services Act (DSA) aimed at protecting minors online according to Le Monde and NPR.

The EU's executive body reported that its review found a significant number of children—between 10% and 12% of those under 13—are able to access these platforms, often due to the ease of creating accounts with false information. Henna Virkkunen, the EU's tech chief, emphasized that “terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users – including children” in a statement highlighting Meta’s shortcomings according to India Times.

Meta has responded by asserting its commitment to enforce age restrictions, stating that it has existing systems to detect and remove accounts created by users under 13. The company plans to share additional measures addressing these concerns next week, asserting that “understanding age is an industry-wide challenge, which requires an industry-wide solution,” which it maintains it is committed to exploring in cooperation with the EU according to Le Monde and NPR.

The EU, in its ongoing push to reinforce protections for minors online, has stressed that companies found in violation of these rules may face significant penalties, specifically fines up to 6% of Meta's global annual revenue. As the investigation progresses, Meta has the opportunity to respond to the preliminary findings before the EU issues a final decision, highlighting the ongoing tension between regulatory oversight and technology companies' commitments to safeguarding user integrity according to India Times and NPR.