May 16, 2024 at 11:51AM
The European Commission has initiated proceedings to assess whether Meta, provider of Facebook and Instagram, violated the Digital Services Act. The investigation focuses on potential breaches related to the protection of minors, including addictive behavior, access to inappropriate content, and privacy issues. The Commission has emphasized the need to safeguard children and plans to conduct a thorough investigation.
Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:
1. The European Commission has launched formal proceedings to investigate whether Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has violated the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to the protection of minors.
2. The investigation will look into potential breaches of the DSA linked to the design of Facebook and Instagram’s interfaces and their potential to exploit the weaknesses of minors, as well as the platforms’ age-verification measures and privacy settings for minors.
3. The Commission is also investigating TikTok and Elon Musk’s X for potential violations of the DSA.
4. Meta has expressed its commitment and efforts to provide safe online experiences for young people and is working on industry-wide solutions for age-assurance.
5. The Commission’s investigations are ongoing, and no fixed timetable has been set for their completion.
These takeaways highlight the European Commission’s active enforcement of the DSA and its focus on protecting minors online. It also demonstrates the growing scrutiny over major tech platforms’ compliance with regulations regarding the safeguarding of minors.