The European Commission has charged Meta with failing to enforce the Digital Services Act, allowing children under 13 to use Facebook and Instagram, exposing them to inappropriate content. It also revealed that Meta's reporting system is difficult to use, requiring seven clicks to submit a report. The company could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue.
The European Commission announced charges against Meta, the technology giant operating Facebook and Instagram, for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA). After a more than two-year investigation, the company was found to have failed to comply with regulations preventing children under 13 from accessing the platforms.
EU Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen stated that Meta's terms and conditions requiring users to be at least 13 years old are merely "words on paper" without effective enforcement. The investigation found no effective control system, with children easily creating accounts by entering fake birthdates.
Furthermore, the reporting tool for flagging underage use was criticized as very difficult to use, requiring seven clicks to access the reporting form. Meta's risk assessment for children was deemed too low, conflicting with evidence across Europe showing 10-12% of users under 13 accessing the platforms.
EU officials emphasized that allowing young children to use the platforms exposes them to risks such as online bullying, abuse, and access to violent content. If these allegations are confirmed, Meta could face a maximum fine of 6% of its annual global revenue, which Meta reported as $201 billion USD (approximately 6.56 trillion baht) for 2025.
A Meta spokesperson disagreed with the investigation's findings, affirming that the company has ongoing measures to detect and delete accounts of underage users and is prepared to continue discussions with the EU.
This development comes amid global pressure to adopt measures similar to Australia’s ban on social media use for children under 16. Several European countries are considering stricter regulations, and the EU plans to launch a self-developed age verification app by the end of 2026.
In addition to age verification, the EU is investigating whether Facebook and Instagram’s design fosters addictive use impacting mental health. Last month, the EU also examined pornography platforms including Pornhub and is investigating Snapchat over shortcomings in child protection.
Despite heavy criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, the EU maintains that these legal tools are necessary to control the excessive influence of major tech companies and to safeguard the safety of future youth citizens.