The European Commission has formally opened an investigation into whether Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has violated the Digital Services Act (DSA) in its handling of content and features related to the protection of minors. EU officials are concerned that Meta's systems, including its algorithms, may be promoting addictive behaviors in children and exposing them to harmful "rabbit hole" effects.
Under the DSA, which came into effect for large online platforms in 2024, companies like Meta are required to implement appropriate measures to safeguard minors from potential harms, including features that could drive behavioral addiction. The EU Commission is now requesting information from Meta to assess its compliance in this area.
Concerns have been raised by experts and watchdog groups about the addictive nature of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, especially for younger users. Features like infinite scrolling feeds, "like" buttons, and hyper-targeted content recommendations driven by algorithms are seen as contributing to excessive screen time and unhealthy engagement patterns among kids and teens.
In addition to examining the addictive potential of Meta's platforms, the EU Commission is also looking into the effectiveness and robustness of Meta's age verification methods. Ensuring that underage users are properly identified and protected from inappropriate content and interactions is a key requirement under the DSA.
Meta has responded to the investigation by emphasizing the various tools and policies it has put in place to protect young people on Facebook and Instagram. This includes options for parents to supervise their children's accounts, defaulting young users into private accounts, restricting ad targeting, and providing resources to support healthy social media habits.
The company says it welcomes the opportunity to engage with the EU Commission and demonstrate its efforts to create safe, age-appropriate experiences. However, definitively proving the efficacy of these measures in preventing harm and addiction among minors could prove challenging.
Social media providers like Meta that are found to be in violation of the DSA could face substantial penalties, with fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue. EU regulators have signaled that they will be rigorously enforcing the new rules and holding platforms accountable.
This investigation into Meta is the latest in a series of DSA-related probes, with the EU Commission also scrutinizing X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. It reflects Europe's assertive approach to reining in Big Tech and protecting vulnerable user populations like children in the digital age.
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