Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giants Facebook and Instagram, faces an EU investigation for potential violations of online content regulations pertaining to child safety, EU regulators announced on Thursday. The investigation could result in significant fines.
Tech firms are mandated to take stronger actions against illegal and harmful content on their platforms under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect last year.
The European Commission has initiated an extensive investigation into Facebook and Instagram due to concerns that they have not sufficiently addressed risks to children. Meta had submitted a risk assessment report in September.
“The Commission is apprehensive that both Facebook and Instagram systems, including their algorithms, may encourage addictive behaviors in children and lead to what is known as ‘rabbit-hole effects’,” stated the EU executive in a released statement.
Additionally, the Commission expressed concerns about Meta’s age verification methods, particularly regarding children accessing inappropriate content.
Meta is already under scrutiny in the EU for election disinformation, a critical issue ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections next month. Violations of the DSA could result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global turnover.
