eFinder

eFinder

Home › Big Tech Regulation (DSA) › Article

Facebook and Instagram must do more to block under-13s, EU warns in Meta charges

Daily Maverick · · 334 words · By Reuters
Big Tech Regulation (DSA) Online Safety and Child Protection
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-04-29-facebook-and-instagram-must-d…

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 60% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

6 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
verified
“The charges or so-called preliminary findings under the Digital Services Act, which requires Big Tech to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms, came after a two-year investigation by the European Commission.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided contains general definitions of 'preliminary' and information about the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA). However, none of the provided sources specify that the preliminary findings under the DSA followed a two-year investigation by the European Commission, making corroboration impossible.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Digital Fairness Act (DFA) is a legislative proposal by the European Commission. Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, is responsible f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Fairness_Act
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is an EU regulation that aims to make the digital economy fairer and more contestable. The regulation entered into force on 1 November 2022 and became applicable, for the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Markets_Act
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Digital Services Act (DSA) is an EU regulation that entered into force in 2022, establishing a comprehensive legal framework for digital services accountability, content moderation, and platform t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Services_Act
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“DSA breaches can cost companies fines as much as 6% of their global annual turnover.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results independently state that noncompliance with the DSA could result in fines of up to 6% of a company's global annual turnover. This is reported by sources discussing potential charges against Meta, TikTok, and X.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — If the Commission confirms noncompliance, the platforms could face fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover, along with periodic penalty payments to enforce compliance. Link to press release:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosacastillol_ec-finds-meta-a…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The charges, which strike at the heart of how these social media giants handle transparency, user empowerment, and data access, could result in fines of up to 6% of each company’s global annual turnov…
https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/meta-and-tiktok-face-record-eu-fi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — If X doesn’t shape up, those fines could hurt, especially with 6% of global turnover on the line.If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, X could face fines up to 6% of its global annua…
https://btw.media/all/tech-trends/x-faces-massive-fines-for-…
check_circle
“The EU tech enforcer said Meta did not do enough to enforce its restrictions on children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram and that measures to identify and remove them when they do access the services were inadequate.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (The Hindu Business Line, WSJ) report that the EU tech enforcer stated Meta did not do enough to enforce restrictions on minors (under 13) and that its measures were inadequate. This is a consistent finding across different reports.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Meta Platforms, Inc. (doing business as Meta) is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Meta owns and operates several prominent social media platforms a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_Platforms
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ray-Ban Meta is a series of smartglasses created by Meta Platforms and EssilorLuxottica (parent company of Ray-Ban). The glasses include two cameras, open-ear speakers, a microphone, and touchpad buil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray-Ban_Meta
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Threads is an American social media microblogging service operated by Meta Platforms. Threads requires an Instagram account to use the service and features integration between the two platforms. Upon…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threads_(social_network)
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“It said 10%-12% of children under 13 in Europe used Facebook and Instagram.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim regarding the specific percentage (10%-12%) of children under 13 using Facebook and Instagram is not corroborated by multiple independent sources. While the overall topic of minors' usage is discussed, the specific statistic is not repeated across the provided evidence.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The history of Facebook traces its growth from a college networking site to a global social networking service. It was launched as TheFacebook in 2004, and renamed Facebook in 2005. Founded by Mark Zu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Facebook
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This article contains a list of the top 50 accounts with the largest number of followers on the social media platform Facebook. As of September 2025, the most-followed page is Portuguese footballer Cr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-followed_Facebook…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Meta Platforms, Inc. (doing business as Meta) is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Meta owns and operates several prominent social media platforms a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_Platforms
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“Our preliminary findings show that Instagram and Facebook are doing very little to prevent children below this age from accessing their services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results (The Hindu Business Line, WSJ) quote the EU tech enforcer, Henna Virkkunen, stating that Instagram and Facebook are doing very little to prevent children below this age from accessing their services. This statement is consistently reported by different news outlets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “Our preliminary findings show that Instagram and Facebook are doing very little to prevent children below this age from accessing their services,” the commission’s lead official on tech policy, Henna…
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/29/meta-foun…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “Instagram and Facebook are doing very little to prevent children below this age from accessing their services,” Henna Virkkunen, the commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, securi…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/business/meta-instagram-f…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The EU's executive branch said Meta Platforms lacked effective measures to prevent children younger than 13 from signing up, and that it was not doing enough to identify and remove children after they…
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2026-04-29/eu-…
check_circle
“The Commission said both platforms must change their risk assessment methodology and that they need to strengthen measures to prevent, detect and remove minors from their services.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results (Facebook, Instagram Charged With Breaching Rules..., Anadolu Ajansı) confirm that the Commission requires both platforms to change their risk assessment methodology and strengthen measures to prevent, detect, and remove minors from their services.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Commission said both platforms must change their risk assessment methodology and that they need to strengthen measures to prevent, detect and remove minors from their services.
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-04-29/fac…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The commission said Meta must revise its risk assessment methodology and strengthen measures to prevent, detect, and remove underage users, ensuring a “high level of privacy, safety and security” for …
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-commission-finds-meta-in-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Como excluir ou desativar permanentemente sua conta do Instagram.
https://help.instagram.com/139886812848894/?helpref=related_…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.