EU Commission dissatisfied with Meta's child protection
According to terms and conditions, children under 13 should not be on Instagram and Facebook at all. However, the provider does not sufficiently ensure this.
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This is the final interim step before the EU Commission imposes possible penalties under the Digital Services Act (DSA): the official finding that Meta underestimates the risks children face on the provider's platforms. The EU Commission considers it important to point out one thing: there is no fixed minimum age in European law – Meta set the age limit itself.
Meta fails to meet obligations
However, this would create the obligation to ensure that children could not be present there. “Terms and conditions should not be mere written statements but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users, including children,” according to the responsible Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen.
However, Meta is not sufficiently meeting this obligation under the Digital Services Act. For example, it is sufficient to enter an incorrect date of birth. Around 12 percent of children are users on the group's social media platforms, according to the EU Commission. This shows that the protective measures are not working, according to the officials. Sources within the Commission stated regarding today's measure that it should not be interpreted as a statement on the minimum age for social media. It is exclusively about enforcing the EU's platform regulation under the Digital Services Act, not about defining a permissible minimum age.
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In two out of four proceedings initiated almost two years ago against the provider regarding minor protection under the DSA, the final formal stage before a settlement or imposition of fines has now been reached. Meta can now react to the EU Commission's findings and propose better procedures for effectively limiting children's access to the platforms. The other DSA proceedings, including those concerning addictive designs, will continue in parallel and independently.
(mho)
