Meta under EU scrutiny for alleged targeting of depressed teens with online ads

Recent allegations against Meta suggest the company targeted online advertisements at depressed teenagers, raising significant concerns about its compliance with EU digital regulations. Former Facebook public policy staffer Sarah Wynn-Williams testified before US lawmakers that Meta enabled advertisers to reach 13-17-year-olds identified as feeling down or depressed, informing advertisers of their emotional state. Meta has denied these claims, calling them inaccurate, but the testimony has prompted renewed scrutiny from EU lawmakers and regulators.

Christel Schaldemose, leading the European Parliament’s internal market committee report on minors’ online protection, expressed serious doubts about Meta’s commitment to ethical standards and regulatory compliance. The EU is finalizing Digital Services Act (DSA) guidelines to strengthen protections for young users, while the IMCO committee is preparing a report addressing these issues. Calls from EU health ministers for a probe into excessive screen time and child-targeted content underscore the urgency for robust safeguards.

The European Commission has been investigating Meta since May over potential breaches related to minors’ online safety. The probe includes examining Meta’s age-verification mechanisms, privacy controls for minors, and whether addictive platform features exploit young users’ vulnerabilities. The Commission has not commented on whether Wynn-Williams’ testimony will expand the investigation or trigger new DSA breach proceedings.

Under the DSA, targeted advertising to minors has been banned since November 2023, and Meta has implemented measures such as Teen Accounts and usage limits for under-17s. Lawmakers, including Alex Agius Saliba, argue that these developments validate the legislative ban and call for further protections against personal profiling and addictive platform designs in future EU digital regulations.

Source: MEPs blast back at Meta over allegations it targeted depressed teens online