Meta calls for new EU-wide regulation on age verification

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has called for new EU regulations to harmonise rules for age verification on platforms.

The company is proposing that age-verification and parental approval of app downloads for teens under 16 happen at the app-store or operating system level.

Many campaigners and regulators argue that verifying the age of users should be the responsibility of the platforms.

Social media firms have been criticised for not doing enough to protect younger users from harmful content.

They have also been accused of using algorithms that promote inappropriate posts and of being too slow to remove upsetting material.

A survey of parents across eight European markets commissioned by Meta shows strong support for legislation that would require parental approval for children under 16 to download apps.

300 Irish parents were surveyed and 87% of them said they would support such a law.

Under Meta's proposed regulations, when a teen wants to download an app, the app stores would be required to notify their parents, much like when parents are notified if their teen attempts to make a purchase.

Parents can then decide if they want to approve the download.

Meta said there should also be requirements for app stores and operating systems to verify age and provide apps and developers with this information.

"European regulation on youth safety is too fragmented, that's why we urgently need new EU-wide regulation that provides consistent protections for teens online, requiring app stores to verify teens' age and get parents’ approval when teens under 16 download an app," said Antigone Davis, VP & Global Head of Safety at Meta.

The recently launched Online Safety Code requires platforms to have appropriate age verification measures in place to protect children from harmful content.