Meta has been directed by the European Union (EU) to provide details regarding the company’s measures against child sexual abuse online.
The EU tech regulators told Meta on Friday to explain how it manages child sexual abuse specifically on Instagram, which is among the firm’s leading social networking platforms. The app, popular for its image and short video features, is one of the most widely used social media platforms around the world. According to reports, 31 per cent of Instagram’s global users comprise young audiences, particularly individuals aged between 18 and 24.
The regulators are also seeking information regarding Instagram’s algorithms, which automatically recommend content based on user activity, and material deemed potentially harmful, according to the European Commission. The details are being sought under the recently introduced Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of regulations that require Big Tech firms to implement stricter measures to counter child abuse material and other forms of detrimental content.
Under the law, companies could be fined six per cent of their yearly global turnover and face widespread bans by regulators in the region. The DSA places increased emphasis on tech firms to contain child sexual abuse material on their social networking platforms.
Meta has been under intense regulatory scrutiny in both the US and UK for its data privacy and child protection practices. The leading tech conglomerate, which has been fined over a billion dollars by regulators for data breaches and child privacy violations in the past two years, recently rolled out a paid subscription service in the EU. It offers users the choice to opt out of Meta platforms’ collection of their personal data, which is used for targeted or behavourial advertising.
The paid ad-free service caused an uproar among EU’s consumer entities. It led to a complaint by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) — Europe’s largest consumer group comprising 19 members from 16 countries. The group argued that Meta’s ad free service offers data privacy in exchange for monetary remuneration and said it violates the region’s data protection laws.
The service was rolled out on Facebook and Instagram, with packages starting at €9.99 per month. Meta came up with the strategy to loosen the regulatory noose around its data collection practices, but it appears to have raised more questions around how the company regards privacy of its consumers’ personal information across its platforms.
In the US, Meta is battling a federal probe into its data processing practices by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is known for fining the company a record-breaking $5 billion following the high-profile Cambridge Analytica controversy. The investigation revolves around Meta’s allegedly deliberate retention of minor accounts on Instagram despite notices from parents and friends. It also accuses Meta of processing underage users’ data for commercial purposes and misleading parents about the level of control they have over their children’s Instagram accounts.
