The European Union has formally accused Meta of failing to stop underage users from accessing Facebook and Instagram, in violation of the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) rules requiring platforms to protect minors.
The Charge
- Meta failed to enforce age-verification standards required for users below the platform’s minimum age
- The Commission’s preliminary findings are the most serious DSA action against Meta to date
- Penalties under the DSA can reach 6% of global annual turnover — Meta exposure: tens of billions of dollars
What Meta Was Required To Do
- Implement effective age-assurance to keep under-13 users off the platforms
- Apply heightened safety defaults to teenage users
- Make protective measures verifiable to the Commission
Meta’s Position
Meta has previously argued its tooling — including AI-based age estimation and behavioural signals — meets DSA requirements. The Commission disagrees. Meta will now have an opportunity to respond formally before any sanctions decision.
The Wider Picture
- This is the DSA’s most pointed test against a US tech major to date
- TikTok, X and YouTube are also under DSA scrutiny on related grounds
- Brussels has signalled it intends to use the DSA as the centrepiece of platform regulation in 2026 and beyond
- US-EU tensions on tech regulation are likely to escalate from here
What Comes Next
Meta has two options: comply quickly with concrete remediation, or contest the Commission’s findings — which would extend the case into 2027 and beyond. Either path will set a precedent for how the EU regulates platform safety for years.
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