EU Charges Meta Over Child Safety

The International — European Commission has accused Meta Platforms of violating the Hitachi — Hitachi Digital Services by failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing its platforms, Meta Platforms — Instagram and Meta Platforms. Preliminary findings indicate that Meta Platforms lacks effective controls to verify users' self-declared ages and has an inadequate system for reporting and removing underage accounts. This investigation, launched in 2024, could result in significant fines for Meta Platforms, potentially up to 6% of its global annual revenue. Meta Platforms has disagreed with the findings, stating it has measures in place and will introduce more. This action is part of a broader trend of increased scrutiny by European Union regulators and individual countries like Spain, France, and Denmark, which are considering stricter rules and bans on social media use for minors. Similar concerns and legal actions are also emerging in the United States and Australia, signaling a global push for enhanced child safety on online platforms.