It’s concerned that these methods would exacerbate the so-called “rabbit hole” effect, which drives consumers to more distressing information.
The European Union started new investigations into Facebook and Instagram on Thursday, alleging that they are failing to safeguard youngsters online, in contravention of the bloc’s rigorous digital standards for social media companies.
It’s the latest wave of investigation for parent business Meta Platforms under the 27-nation EU’s Digital Services Act, a broad set of laws enacted last year to clean up online platforms and safeguard internet users.
The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, expressed worry that the algorithmic algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram to propose content such as movies and postings might “exploit the weaknesses and inexperience” of minors and encourage “addictive behavior.”
It’s concerned that these methods would exacerbate the so-called “rabbit hole” effect, which drives consumers to more distressing information.
The commission is also investigating Meta’s use of age verification technologies to prevent youngsters from accessing Facebook or Instagram or seeing harmful information.
Only youngsters aged 13 and over are permitted to utilize the platforms. It is also investigating whether the corporation complies with DSA regulations demanding a high degree of privacy, safety, and security for children.
“We want young people to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online and have spent a decade developing more than 50 tools and policies designed to protect them,” Meta said in an earlier statement.
“This is a challenge the whole industry is facing, and we look forward to sharing details of our work with the European Commission.” They are the most recent DSA lawsuits that center on child safety under the DSA, which mandates platforms to implement strict procedures to protect children.
Earlier this year, the commission started two separate investigations into TikTok due to concerns about potential hazards to children.
“We are not convinced that Meta has done enough to comply with the DSA obligations — to mitigate the risks of negative effects on the physical and mental health of young Europeans on its platforms Facebook and Instagram,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton stated on social media.
The cases announced on Thursday are not the first for Facebook and Instagram. They are already under investigation by the DSA on worries that they are not doing enough to combat foreign disinformation ahead of the EU elections next month. Social media platform X and e-commerce site AliExpress are both under investigation for failing to comply with EU regulations.
There is no timeframe for the investigations to conclude. Violations may result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global sales.
