EU Criticizes Meta for Failing to Block Underage Users

Apr 29, 2026

61 min

Apr 29, 2026 08:30

EU says Meta is failing to keep children under 13 off Facebook and Instagram

## EU Investigation into Meta's Age Verification

The European Union has criticized Meta for not effectively preventing children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram. This comes after an investigation revealed that children can easily bypass age checks, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content.

## Potential Consequences for Meta

The EU has warned Meta that it could face a significant fine if it does not improve its measures to prevent underage access. The fine could be as much as six percent of Meta's global annual revenue. The EU's findings are part of a broader effort to enhance online safety for children.

## Meta's Response and Ongoing Issues

Meta has disagreed with the EU's findings, stating that it has systems in place to detect and remove accounts of users under 13. However, the EU found these measures ineffective, noting that children can easily create accounts with false birthdates. Additionally, the process for reporting underage users was deemed cumbersome.

## Broader EU Efforts

The EU is considering a bloc-wide age limit for social media platforms and has developed an age-check app to improve online safety. This initiative follows similar actions in other countries, such as Australia's ban on social media for those under 16.

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