EU Launches Investigation into Children's 'Addiction' to Facebook and Instagram

On Thursday, May 17, the European Commission began investigations into Facebook and Instagram over concerns of inadequate protection regarding children's online activities. This is the latest investigation into Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, based on the EU's Digital Services Act, which was implemented last year with the aim of cleaning up platforms and protecting internet users. The European Commission expressed concern that the algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram could exploit children's vulnerabilities and inexperience, encouraging addictive behavior through their videos and messages. The Commission added that these algorithmic systems could lead children into addiction to harmful content. Additionally, the Commission will examine Meta's methods of using age verification tools aimed at preventing children's access to Facebook and Instagram as well as inappropriate content. According to EU regulations, children over 13 years old can use these two platforms. Furthermore, the Commission will investigate whether Meta complies with the Digital Services Act, which mandates a higher level of privacy, safety, and security for child users. Meta stated, 'Our goal is to ensure that the experience of minors on our platforms is safe and age-appropriate, and we have been working for a decade to develop over 50 tools and policies aimed at protecting them. This is a challenge that the entire industry faces, and we are ready to share the details of our work with the European Commission.' The European Commission's investigation into Facebook and Instagram is the latest in a series of investigations regarding child protection under the EU's Digital Services Act, which requires all social networks to implement strict measures to protect children. Earlier this year, the Commission conducted two separate investigations concerning TikTok due to concerns about the safety of children. Thierry Breton, the internal market commissioner, wrote on social media, 'We are not convinced that Meta has taken the necessary actions to comply with the Digital Services Act and to minimize the negative impacts on the physical and mental health of European children on Facebook and Instagram.' This is not the only investigation by the European Commission into Facebook and Instagram. Recently, another investigation was launched under the Digital Services Act regarding the performance of these two platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation by foreign actors ahead of the European parliamentary elections. The Commission has also initiated investigations into the social network X (formerly Twitter) and the economic platform AliExpress. No deadline has been set for the conclusion of these investigations, and if violations of the EU's Digital Services Act are proven, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its annual global revenue.