Meta accused of targeting under-13s, deceiving public about age-verification measures
A freshly unsealed complaint in a lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has claimed it knowingly allowed and even pursued children under 13 to use its platforms. The document, first spotted by The New York Times, alleges that Meta has been dishonest about how it deals with underage users, often failing to disable their accounts when reported and continuing to collect their data. It has been filed by 33 states of the United States (US).
Under-13 users' presence 'open secret' at Meta
The unsealed complaint, filed on Wednesday, reveals that the presence of kids under 13 on Meta's platforms was an "open secret." Despite policies requiring users to be at least 13 years old to join Facebook and Instagram, children can easily lie about their age, which Meta is allegedly aware of and has done little to prevent. The suit claims that Meta only disabled a small portion of the 1.1 million reported under-13 Instagram users between 2019 and 2023.
Accusation of violating COPPA, manipulating young users
Meta is also accused of "routinely" violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by targeting children and collecting their information without parental consent. The lawsuit also argues that Meta's platforms manipulate young users into spending unhealthy amounts of time on the apps, promote dysmorphia, and expose them to potentially harmful content. The lawsuit was first filed in October when a Meta spokesperson expressed disappointment, stating, "We share the attorneys general's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online."
