European lawmakers have called on the European Commission to force Meta to implement the same child safety measures on its platforms in Europe that the tech giant recently agreed to introduce in parts of the United States.
A letter signed by 52 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and seen by AFP on Thursday urges Brussels to act swiftly in concluding its investigation into Meta’s practices under the Digital Services Act.
French MEP Stephanie Yon-Courtin led the cross-party initiative, which argues that European children deserve the same level of protection as their American counterparts.
“European children are worth no less than American ones,” the letter states. “It would therefore be untenable for European minors to end up less well protected, when our framework is the most demanding in the world.”
Landmark US settlement
Meta agreed last month to pay a coalition of US states as much as $16.7 billion and implement significant restrictions on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram. The settlement includes features such as automatic night-time blocks for young users.
The 27-nation European Union has been pushing for similar changes. In July, Brussels told Meta to alter what it called the “addictive design” of its platforms, findings that the company disputed at the time.
Calls for swift action
The MEPs are now demanding that the European Commission conclude its probe “without further delay” and issue a “non-compliance decision” with appropriate penalties.
The letter, addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warns that any commitments accepted from Meta “must on no account fall short of what Meta has just granted to American users”.
The lawmakers also suggest that if other enforcement measures fail, the EU should be prepared to ask courts to temporarily block access to platforms where serious harm persists.
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Beyond fines
The parliamentarians argue that fines alone may not be sufficient to change behaviour, as they can simply be “written off” by tech giants. However, a “shutdown ordered by a judge reaches the business model itself”, they contend.
The letter accuses von der Leyen of failing to deliver on political commitments to make online spaces safer for children.
“Will the protection of minors online still be among your priorities?” the MEPs ask. “The commission speaks but does not deliver.”
Digital Services Act probe
The European Union launched its investigation into Meta in 2024 under the Digital Services Act, a content regulation law that has drawn criticism from the United States.
The legislation forms part of the EU’s expanded legal toolkit developed in recent years to regulate Big Tech companies.
Brussels is expected to announce some form of social media ban for children later this month, although full details have not yet been released.
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