Meta and the digital coming of age: The debate over parental controls and age verification in Europe

  • Meta supports the creation of a common digital majority in the EU.
  • The company advocates for age verification to be applied to all applications, not just social media.
  • Parents and European governments are calling for stronger controls and greater involvement from app stores like Google and Apple.
  • The debate is growing due to concerns about the intensive use of the Internet and devices by minors.

digital coming of age in Meta

Minors' access to the Internet and digital services is a major concern in Europe. In recent months, Meta has publicly expressed its support for the establishment of a common digital majority age. for all countries of the European Union. This proposal, which has resurfaced strongly during the Danish presidency of the EU Council, seeks to establish clear limits for minors requiring the consent of their parents before accessing social networks or other online platforms.

The issue is not new, but it has gained relevance in the face of growing pressure from governments such as Spain and France, which, along with other nations, have called for stronger action to protect minors in the digital environment. Meta agrees on the need to implement effective age verification mechanisms, although he maintains that The restriction should not be limited to social networks, but also extend to all types of applications: from messaging platforms and video games to streaming services and web browsing.

A global approach that includes parents, governments and technology companies

Digital security for minors in Meta

Meta emphasizes the importance of that parents have the authority to decide which applications their children can useAccording to a study conducted by Morning Consult for the company, 75% of European parents support that parental consent is essential for the downloading of applications by minors.

On the other hand, Meta highlights that the responsibility to verify age should fall on the app stores and operating systems — such as Apple and Google—, as this would facilitate establishing centralized control that covers all digital services, thus simplifying the task of parents and preventing teenagers from turning to less secure alternatives outside of regulatory control.

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In Spain, the New law for the protection of minors in digital environments is moving in that direction, promoting integrated parental controls for all devices. However, the debate remains nuanced: while most European countries are proposing to set the digital age of majority at 16, Spain and Italy opt to equate it to the legal age of 18 years..

Teenage accounts and protection experiences

Meta has launched tools such as teenage accounts on Instagram, which allow parents to monitor their children's online activity. Currently, there are 54 million of these accounts have parental controls, and a relevant fact is that 94% of young people maintain protection voluntarily until they reach digital adulthood.

Meta's position is clear: Parental control should be essential in any regulatory initiative, since government bans are ineffective and could limit families' decision-making power, in addition to not covering the full range of platforms and services used by minors.

The company considers that a reliable age verification It is essential for all online services, preferably at the level of app stores or operating systems, in collaboration with large technology companies.

Perspectives from other companies and the European context

Google, which manages both the app store and the operating systems, maintains that responsibility should be shared between stores, developers, and families. It recently rolled out new tools in the European Union to securely verify age, such as Credential Manager technology, which prioritizes privacy and protection when identifying minors.

Although the approaches differ, The European trend is towards joint regulation: establishing a clear digital age of majority, centralized verification, and greater involvement of parents and guardians in deciding their children's online access.

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Excessive use of devices by children continues to be a cause for concern. Recent studies indicate that 42% of children in Spain use a mobile phone before the age of 8., and in general, access the internet from a very early age. Furthermore, more than half of children show symptoms of anxiety or irritability when their screen time is limited, reinforcing the need for effective solutions.

Intensive use increases with age, with 93% of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 spending at least an hour a day on digital leisure activities. According to the First Observatory of Digital Habits in Minors, prepared by SaveFamily, more than 50% of parents believe that technology has significant emotional effects on their children.

Spanish families support measures such as Restrict mobile phone use in schools, limit access to social media for minors, and strengthen parental controls.Scientific evidence and social concern reinforce the importance of establishing regulations that protect their digital well-being.

The progress in the European dialogue suggests that a digital coming of age in Meta could be established soon, promoting a model based on the Collaboration between governments, technology companies and families to ensure a safe, healthy, and age-appropriate online environment for minors.


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