Meta and its photo-sharing app Instagram are awaiting the announcement of the European Union’s final ruling over the handling of children’s data on the platform. According to reports, Instagram broke EU regulations by enabling minors to create business accounts.
The conflict between Instagram and the EU dates back to 2020, when Instagram’s management of children’s data was the subject of an investigation by Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC). A US-based data scientist discovered that Instagram lets minors to modify their account settings to business, which ignited the initial investigation. This exposes them to dangers of all kinds and makes their contact information public. The goal of the DPC investigation was to make sure that Facebook (later rebranded as Meta) did all possible to safeguard children’s privacy.
The EU is about to make its ultimate decision at this time. Graham Doyle, the deputy commissioner for DPC, claims that by the end of the final week of August or the first week of September, the final judgment is made public.
Advertisement Instagram might be subject to a significant fine in Europe for its handling of children’s data. Instagram is currently being accused of breaking the General Data Protection Regulation of the EU (GDPR). Of course, everything is up to the EU’s final decision. In the event that Meta and its subset platform are proven guilty, the potential penalties is yet unknown. But the business might be subject to one of the largest fines the EU has ever imposed on a non-EU entity.
Another contentious subject for Instagram in the US is how it handles children’s data. The business revealed its intentions to create a special app for kids last year. The plans were then put on hold due to privacy concerns.
Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal first filed a new bill in February with the goal of enhancing children’s online privacy. The law provided kids more control over the information they shared online. Obviously, it is difficult for politicians to force social media firms to follow the regulations set forth in the bill.
