Meta is facing the prospect of multi-billion euro penalties after European regulators concluded that Facebook and Instagram are failing to effectively prevent children under 13 from accessing their platforms.
The European Commission’s preliminary findings state that Meta has not adequately identified or mitigated risks associated with underage users, putting the company in potential breach of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
Although Meta’s policies set a minimum age of 13, regulators found that enforcement mechanisms are largely ineffective. Children can reportedly bypass restrictions simply by entering false birthdates, with no reliable verification system in place to confirm user age.
Investigators also criticized the platform’s reporting tools for underage users, describing them as difficult to access and inefficient. In some cases, reporting a minor account requires multiple steps and lacks meaningful follow-up, allowing flagged users to remain active without additional checks.
The Commission further noted that Meta’s internal risk assessments were “incomplete and arbitrary,” failing to fully account for the exposure of children to potentially harmful or age-inappropriate content.
Regulators estimate that between 10% and 12% of children under 13 in Europe are using Facebook or Instagram, highlighting the gap between platform rules and real-world usage.
If the findings are confirmed, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue. Given the company’s scale, such penalties could reach several billion euros, making this one of the most significant enforcement actions under the DSA to date.
Meta has pushed back on the conclusions, stating that age verification remains an industry-wide challenge and that it already deploys tools to detect and remove underage accounts. The company said it is working on additional safeguards and plans to introduce further measures.
The case reflects growing regulatory pressure across Europe to address child safety risks on social media platforms. Authorities are increasingly focusing on enforceable controls rather than voluntary policies, particularly as governments explore broader restrictions on minors’ access to digital services.
The investigation remains ongoing, with Meta expected to respond formally to the Commission’s findings before any final penalties are imposed.