facebook parent company meta On Thursday, it faced a major investigation by the European Union for allegedly violating the bloc’s strict online content laws over child safety risks.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said in a statement whether the social media giants’ Facebook and Instagram platforms “could stimulate behavioral addiction in children and cause a so-called ‘rabbit hole effect'”. He said he was investigating.
The committee added that it was concerned about privacy risks related to age verification on Meta’s platform and the company’s recommendation algorithms.
“We want young people to have age-appropriate and safe experiences online and have spent 10 years developing more than 50 tools and policies designed to protect young people. ,” a Meta spokesperson told CNBC via email.
“This is a challenge facing the entire industry and we look forward to sharing details of our efforts with the European Commission.”
The commission said the decision to open the investigation was based on a preliminary analysis of a risk assessment report provided by Meta in September 2023.
Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for the internal market, said in a statement that regulators were “not convinced.” [that Meta] The Company has undertaken sufficient efforts to comply with its DSA obligations to reduce the risk of adverse effects on the physical and mental health of young Europeans on its platform. ”
The EU said it would carry out a thorough investigation into Meta’s child protection measures “as a matter of priority”. The bloc can continue to collect evidence through requests for information, interviews and inspections.
The Commission said the opening of the DSA investigation will enable the EU to take further enforcement actions, including interim measures and non-compliance decisions. The committee added that it could also take into account promises made by Meta to address its concerns.
Meta and other American tech giants have increasingly come under the spotlight of EU scrutiny since the introduction of the Digital Services Act, the European Commission’s landmark legislation aimed at tackling harmful content. There is.
Under the EU’s DSA, companies can be fined up to 6% of their global annual revenue for non-compliance. The European Union has not yet imposed fines on tech giants under the new law.
In December 2023, the EU launched infringement proceedings against Company X, formerly known as Twitter, for allegedly failing to counter disinformation and manipulation of content.
The commission is also investigating Meta for possible violations of the DSA related to its handling of election disinformation.
The European Union launched an investigation into the company in April, saying it was concerned Meta was not doing enough to combat disinformation ahead of the upcoming European elections.
The EU is not alone in taking action against meth over concerns about child safety.
In the United States, New Mexico’s attorney general is suing Facebook and Instagram for allegedly enabling child sexual abuse, recruitment, and human trafficking.
At the time, a Meta spokesperson said the company had deployed “advanced technology” and taken other precautions to eradicate predators.