Meta Breached EU Child Safety Laws, Faces Potential Fines

• •Meta is accused of failing to prevent under-13s from accessing its platforms.
• •The European Commission's investigation lasted nearly two years and found significant compliance issues.
• •If upheld, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue.

The European Commission has found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) for failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing its platforms, including Instagram. The investigation, which lasted nearly two years, revealed that Meta did not implement effective measures to identify and mitigate risks associated with underage users. The Commission's preliminary findings indicate that children could easily bypass age restrictions by providing false birthdates, and the reporting tools for underage accounts were deemed ineffective. Meta disputes these findings, asserting that it has measures in place and is working on additional solutions. If the findings are upheld, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue, which was reported at $201 billion for 2025. This situation has sparked broader discussions in Europe about potential social media bans for children. The Commission's lead official emphasized the need for platforms to enforce their own age-related rules effectively.