EU Slams Meta for Failing to Keep Kids Off Facebook and Instagram, Threatens $12 Billion Fine

The European Commission has issued a preliminary ruling that Meta is violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram. Despite Meta’s own policies setting 13 as the minimum age, the company lacks effective measures to verify users’ ages or remove underage accounts.

This decision highlights serious concerns about children’s safety on social media and could lead to fines as high as $12 billion if Meta does not address the breaches. The ruling underscores the EU’s commitment to enforcing stricter protections for minors online.

How Meta’s Age Verification Falls Short

Meta allows users to bypass age restrictions simply by entering a false birth date during sign-up, with no robust system to verify the information. The tools available for reporting underage users are reportedly ineffective, often failing to remove minors once flagged.

The European Commission’s investigation revealed that Meta’s risk assessments for protecting children are incomplete and inconsistent, ignoring scientific evidence about the vulnerability of younger users.

The Broader Impact on Children’s Online Safety

The Commission highlighted that 10-12% of children under 13 in the EU are already accessing Facebook and Instagram, exposing them to potential harms. Concerns about behavioral addictions linked to these platforms are also under investigation.

“Meta’s own general conditions indicate their services are not intended for minors under 13, yet Instagram and Facebook are doing very little to prevent children below this age from accessing their services.”—Henna Virkkunen, EU Tech Policy Leader

Meta’s Response and Next Steps

Meta disputes the EU’s preliminary findings, asserting that it has measures in place to detect and remove underage users and is investing in new technologies to improve enforcement. The company plans to announce additional measures soon.

The European Commission has given Meta a chance to fix the identified issues. Failure to comply could result in fines up to six percent of Meta’s global annual revenue, potentially reaching $12 billion based on 2025 earnings.

What This Means for the Future of Social Media Regulation

This ruling marks a significant step in holding tech giants accountable for protecting vulnerable users. It signals increased regulatory scrutiny and the possibility of stricter enforcement of age verification and content moderation standards across social platforms.

As investigations continue, especially into the addictive nature of social media for children, companies like Meta will face mounting pressure to prioritize user safety or face substantial penalties.