Meta risks billions in fines over child safety breaches, EU warns

The European Commission has issued a formal warning to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over preliminary findings indicating that the tech giant is failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing its platforms.

The announcement, made on Wednesday by EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen, places Meta in direct breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), according to The Guardian.

If upheld, the findings could see the company fined up to 6 per cent of its global annual turnover, which reached about 201 billion US dollars in 2025.

The Commission’s investigation, which lasted nearly two years, found Meta’s age-verification measures largely ineffective.

Despite its terms of service setting a minimum age of 13, regulators said minors can easily bypass restrictions by entering false birth dates.

"Our preliminary findings show that Instagram and Facebook are doing very little to prevent children below this age from accessing their services," Virkkunen said. "Terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users."

Regulators highlighted several systemic failures within Meta’s ecosystem.

The reporting tool for underage users was described as difficult to use, requiring up to seven clicks to access, and often resulting in no follow-up action.

There were also discrepancies in the data.

While Meta’s internal risk assessments downplayed the issue, EU evidence suggests between 10 per cent and 12 per cent of children under 13 in the bloc are active on its platforms.

The Commission further warned that underage users may be exposed to “rabbit hole” algorithmic effects that can drive addictive behaviour and push extreme content.

Meta now has an opportunity to respond to the findings and propose corrective measures before a final decision is made.

The company has previously defended its record, pointing to the development of more than 50 tools aimed at protecting young users.

The move comes amid a broader European crackdown on big tech, with countries such as Spain and France considering national bans on social media use for children under 16.