EU investigation into Meta for “child safety”

The European Union (EU) has launched an investigation into Meta for non-compliance with Union rules on the protection of minors on Facebook and Instagram.

The EU Commission announced the launch of a formal investigation to determine whether Meta has breached the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to the protection of children.

The Commission said that Facebook and Instagram systems, including their algorithms, may encourage behavioral addictions in children and may also cause the so-called “rabbit hole effect”, adding that the age verification methods implemented by Meta are also problematic.

The Commission will continue to gather additional information and evidence on this issue, the statement said.

Under the EU law that came into force last year, major digital platforms operating in Europe are subject to strict rules. Technology companies are required to implement various measures to combat illegal and harmful content on their platforms.

The EU can impose fines of up to 6 percent of their global turnover on digital platforms that violate the rules.