Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC.
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Facebook parent company Yuan The European Union launched a major investigation on Thursday into alleged breaches of the bloc’s strict online content laws targeting child safety risks.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said in a statement that it was investigating whether the social media giant’s Facebook and Instagram platforms “may stimulate behavioral addiction in children and create the so-called ‘rabbit hole effect’.”
The committee added that it was concerned about age verification on the Meta platform.
Meta did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
The European Commission said its decision to launch an investigation was based on a preliminary analysis of a risk assessment report provided by Meta in September 2023.
Since the EU introduced its landmark Digital Services Act, Meta and other U.S. tech giants have found themselves increasingly at the center of EU scrutiny.
In December 2023, the EU filed an infringement lawsuit against X (the company was formerly known as Twitter) for allegedly failing to combat content disinformation and manipulation.
This is breaking news. The story is being updated.
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