The European Commission's preliminary probe found Meta failed to prevent children under 13 from creating Facebook and Instagram accounts and did not adequately assess related safety risks. Meta disputes the findings, saying it has measures to detect and remove under‑age accounts and will announce additional steps soon. If the Commission's final ruling finds DSA violations, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.
EU Finds Meta Failing To Keep Under‑13s Off Facebook and Instagram — Preliminary DSA Probe
FILE - A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
LONDON (AP) — The European Commission said Wednesday that Meta has fallen short of its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to prevent children under 13 from creating accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
The regulator's preliminary investigation, opened in 2024, concluded that Meta Platforms has lacked effective systems to stop under‑13s from registering and has not done enough to reliably identify and remove such accounts after they are opened. Meta's own policy sets 13 as the minimum age for account creation on both services.
Beyond underage sign‑ups, the Commission said Meta is not adequately assessing the risk that younger children will be exposed to "age‑inappropriate experiences" on its platforms.
Meta responded that it already deploys measures to detect and remove accounts belonging to anyone under 13 and called age verification an "industry‑wide challenge" requiring a collective solution. The company said it will provide more details next week about additional measures it plans to roll out.
Why it matters: The DSA requires online platforms operating in the 27‑nation bloc to take concrete action to protect users — including enforcing their own age rules. If Meta is found in violation after the Commission's final decision, the company could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
"The DSA requires platforms to enforce their own rules: terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users – including children," said Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission.
Meta has the opportunity to respond to the preliminary findings before the Commission issues a final decision. The case highlights growing regulatory scrutiny of how social platforms verify users' ages and manage risks to minors online.
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