EU Finds Meta Cannot Enforce Its Own 13+ Age Requirement on Facebook, Instagram

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against Meta for failing to prevent children under 13 from creating Facebook and Instagram accounts, despite both platforms' stated minimum age policy. The investigation, launched May 2024, also examines Meta's inability to identify and remove underage users post-registration. The findings suggest Meta lacks adequate technical or operational measures to enforce age verification, raising questions about the enforceability of platform safety policies.