Meta Allegedly Ignores Kids Under 13 on Its Platforms

A new internal document showed the alleged minimization of Meta's policies for users that are under 13 years old across its platforms.

Meta Faces Lawsuit Against Alleged Damaging Effects on Kids

Last month, a lawsuit was filed against the company citing the damaging practices done by the company, especially to its young users. Complaints showed that Meta has been allegedly ignoring reports of bullying, privacy invasion, and more.

"Meta knows that what it is doing is bad for kids - period. Thanks to our unredacted federal complaint, it is now there in black and white, and it is damning," said Attorney General Rob Bonta.

The unredacted document revealed that Meta has explicitly set goals to achieve the increased time spent within its platforms. The company also tracked engagement metrics among teen users.

Moreover, the document also emphasized that Meta is aware that millions of its users are children below 13, with around 30% of them ranging from 10 to 12 years old. Despite the knowledge, the company has "unlawfully collected their personal information."

Meta Promised to Remove Users Under 13

Before the lawsuit, the company had already pledged to kick out accounts that were identified to be used by children below 13 years of age. However, the lawsuit argued that Meta did not even attempt to get parental consent before collecting the personal information of children on Instagram on Facebook.

Although the opposition acknowledges the fact that it can be a difficult task to detect kids' accounts, Meta is under fire for deliberately turning a blind eye to the issues concerning children. The lawsuit cited that the company opted this way instead of enforcing strict policies to protect the young.

Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg remained firm in Congress last 2021 that once the company detects an account as under the age of 13, the company immediately kicks them off.

"Meta continuously misrepresented that its social media platforms were safe, while internal data revealed that users experienced harms on its platforms at far higher rates," the complaint pressed.