Facebook And Instagram Face Fresh EU Digital Scrutiny Over Child Safety Measures

LONDON — The European Union started new investigations into Facebook and Instagram on Thursday, alleging that they are failing to protect youngsters online, in contravention of the bloc’s rigorous digital standards for social media companies.

It’s the latest wave of investigation for parent business Meta Platforms under the 27-nation EU’s Digital Services Act, a broad set of regulations enacted last year to clean up online platforms and protect internet users.

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Facebook And Instagram Face Fresh EU Digital Scrutiny Over Child Safety Measures

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, expressed worry that the algorithmic algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram to propose content such as movies and postings could “exploit the weaknesses and inexperience” of minors and encourage “addictive behavior.” It’s concerned that these methods would exacerbate the so-called “rabbit hole” effect, which drives consumers to more distressing content.

The commission is also investigating Meta’s use of age-verification technologies to prevent youngsters from accessing Facebook or Instagram or viewing inappropriate information. Users must be at least 13 years old to create an account on these networks. It also investigates whether the corporation complies with DSA regulations demanding high privacy, safety, and security for children.

“We want young people to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online and have spent a decade developing more than 50 tools and policies designed to protect them,” Meta stated earlier. “This is a challenge the whole industry is facing, and we look forward to sharing details of our work with the European Commission.”

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Facebook And Instagram Face Fresh EU Digital Scrutiny Over Child Safety Measures

The most recent DSA lawsuits center on child safety under the DSA, which mandates platforms to implement strict procedures to protect children. Earlier this year, the commission started two separate investigations into TikTok due to concerns about potential hazards to children.

“We are not convinced that Meta has done enough to comply with the DSA obligations — to mitigate the risks of negative effects on the physical and mental health of young Europeans on its platforms Facebook and Instagram,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton stated on social media.

The cases announced on Thursday are not the first for Facebook and Instagram. The DSA is already investigating them over worries that they are not doing enough to combat foreign disinformation ahead of the EU elections next month.

Facebook: Getty Images

Facebook And Instagram Face Fresh EU Digital Scrutiny Over Child Safety Measures

X, a social media platform, and AliExpress, an ecommerce site, are under investigation for violating EU regulations.

There is no timeframe for the investigations to conclude. Violations may result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global revenue.

SOURCE – (AP)