Overview
- The European Commission, which published preliminary findings Wednesday, says Instagram and Facebook do little to stop users under 13 in the EU from getting on the platforms.
- Investigators report that both services ask users to self‑declare their birthdate without effective checks and that underage account reports often fail to trigger removal.
- Evidence drawn from across member states indicates that about 10% to 12% of EU children under 13 access one or both services, exposing them to inappropriate content and other risks.
- Meta can now respond and propose fixes under the Digital Services Act, the EU online‑safety law that allows fines up to 6% of annual global turnover if remedies fall short.
- The case forms part of a wider EU child‑safety push that includes actions against porn sites, a new Snapchat probe, demands that TikTok change its design, and an EU age‑verification app launched this month.