The European Commission has found Meta in preliminary breach of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) for failing to effectively prevent children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram. The investigation revealed that Meta’s age verification systems were inadequate, allowing underage users to create accounts using false birthdates, while reporting tools were deemed ineffective.

Regulators stated that Meta failed to meet its own minimum age requirements and did not sufficiently mitigate risks such as cyberbullying, grooming, and exposure to harmful content. If upheld, the findings could lead to fines of up to 6% of the company’s global annual revenue.

Meta has disputed the findings, stating it continues to invest in age-detection technologies. The case reflects growing regulatory scrutiny across Europe over platform responsibility and child safety, with several countries considering stricter age restrictions on social media use.