Meta Proposes Online Teen Protection Plan to EU Commission

Brussels – Meta has proposed a harmonised age verification and safety standard system for apps and online services to the European Commission to safeguard teenagers across the European Union.

According to Meta, this proposal includes age verification and parental consent of app downloads for those aged below 16. If an underaged kid wants to download an app, app stores would need to inform their parents under Meta’s proposal. Parents would then decide whether to endorse the download. Meta also wants EU-wide industry benchmarks for age-appropriate experiences for teens. 

“Alignment across industries on the types of content companies should be considered age-appropriate, as there is for other media like movies and video games. Further, certain apps, including social media apps, should offer supervision tools for teens under 16 that parents can activate and control,” the statement stated.

Recently, the Incoming EU Commissioner responsible for technology, Henna Virkkunen, has tagged safeguarding minors “a top priority”. Youth safety online is also in component of the obligation of Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner and Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath. “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,” she said.

The 27 EU member nations are currently free to develop their own rules for age verification and there are no EU measures, although some of the EU rules foresee enhanced age verification to protect minors including the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). The proposed Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) regulation, currently under discussion in the Council of the EU, also depends heavily on recognising minors online to shield them from predators.