The European Commission has announced that Meta has not adequately prevented minors under the age of 13 from gaining access to Instagram and Facebook, a violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA sets out a legal framework for online platforms to manage content and minimize risks for users. Meta’s current policies require users to be at least 13 years old, but the Commission’s preliminary findings indicate that these measures are ineffective.
According to a press release by the Commission, Meta’s controls for age verification and reporting minors are insufficient. The statement mentions that there are no substantial checks on the accuracy of self-declared birthdates, and the reporting tools are not user-friendly.
This investigation into Meta was launched in 2024 following the DSA implementation. If confirmed, Meta could be facing a fine accounting for up to 6% of its global annual turnover. Based on Meta’s 2025 turnover of approximately $201 billion, this could amount to a fine nearing $12.6 billion.
Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President, emphasized the importance of concrete actions to protect young users. “Meta’s own general conditions indicate their services are not intended for minors under 13. Yet, our preliminary findings show that Instagram and Facebook are doing very little to prevent children below this age from accessing their services.”
Meta disagrees with the findings, asserting that their current age verification methods are effective. Despite this, Meta acknowledges room for improvement and is reportedly rolling out additional measures soon. They highlighted the age verification challenge as an industry-wide issue.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges tech giants face in balancing user engagement with regulatory requirements and user safety. Implementing more rigorous age-verification methods could be costly, but failing to comply with regulatory standards may incur even heavier financial penalties. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, technology companies must recalibrate their strategies to align with legal frameworks and ethical considerations.
