By THE HILL
Published on May 16, 2024
The European Union is investigating Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over the potentially addictive effects of its platforms on children.
The bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission, opened “formal proceedings” against the tech giant Thursday to investigate whether it violated the Digital Services Act’s (DSA) protections for minors.
The commission noted in a press release that the design of Facebook and Instagram “may exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behaviour.”
It is also investigating age-verification tools employed by Meta that “may not be reasonable, proportionate and effective,” as well as its efforts to “ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors.”