EU issues preliminary finding that Meta failed to keep under-13 users off Facebook and Instagram

Wednesday, April 29, 2026Technology & SocietyWell-covered5 frames

The European Commission issued preliminary findings that Meta violated the EU’s Digital Services Act in relation to under-13 access to Facebook and Instagram.
The Commission said Meta’s own terms set 13 as the minimum age for Facebook and Instagram, but its measures to enforce that age limit were not effective.
EU regulators said children under 13 can create accounts by entering false birth dates and that Meta lacked effective controls to verify self-declared ages.
The Commission also said Meta was not adequately identifying and removing accounts belonging to users under 13 after those accounts were created or reported.
The case concerns child safety on two of Meta’s largest social platforms in the EU and centers on the risk that under-13 users may be exposed to age-inappropriate experiences or content.
If the preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its annual global revenue, and the Commission could also impose periodic penalty payments to enforce compliance.
No final penalty has been imposed yet; Meta can examine the investigation documents, submit a written response, and take measures to address the alleged problems before the Commission reaches a final decision.

The European Commission issued preliminary findings that Meta violated the EU’s Digital Services Act in relation to under-13 access to Facebook and Instagram.
The Commission said Meta’s own terms set 13 as the minimum age for Facebook and Instagram, but its measures to enforce that age limit were not effective.
EU regulators said children under 13 can create accounts by entering false birth dates and that Meta lacked effective controls to verify self-declared ages.
The Commission also said Meta was not adequately identifying and removing accounts belonging to users under 13 after those accounts were created or reported.
The case concerns child safety on two of Meta’s largest social platforms in the EU and centers on the risk that under-13 users may be exposed to age-inappropriate experiences or content.
If the preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its annual global revenue, and the Commission could also impose periodic penalty payments to enforce compliance.
No final penalty has been imposed yet; Meta can examine the investigation documents, submit a written response, and take measures to address the alleged problems before the Commission reaches a final decision.