The European Commission has issued preliminary findings accusing Meta of failing to prevent under-13 users from accessing Instagram and Facebook, signaling potential regulatory action ahead.

The EC says Meta must strengthen measures to prevent, detect, and remove underage accounts, with the possibility of fines if the findings are confirmed.

Meta disputes the EU findings, insisting the platforms are for users 13 and older and promising additional measures to detect and remove underage accounts soon.

In its Q1 results, Meta reported revenue rising 33% year over year to $56.31 billion and net income up 61% to $26.77 billion, while family daily active users increased 4% to 3.56 billion on average in March but the company noted a quarterly decline in DAP across family products.

Meta also disclosed that daily active people on its family of apps fell by 20 million quarter-over-quarter to 3.56 billion, missing several analysts' expectations and contributing to a drop in after-hours stock trading.

The EU findings imply broader regulatory scrutiny and potential enforcement steps regarding Meta’s handling of underage users.

Meta previously overhauled Teen Accounts in 2025 with default age-appropriate content filters, but regulators say gaps remain in preventing initial underage signups.

A Meta tool for reporting minors is reportedly hard to use and may not prompt effective follow-up, allowing underage use to continue.

Overall, EU probes into Meta are a central story in a wide Techmeme digest that aggregates multiple related tech items and coverage.

The EU investigation also touches on potential behavioral addiction concerns linked to Facebook and Instagram alongside age-verification scrutiny.

The Commission criticized Meta’s reporting and moderation tools as difficult to use, noting that underage accounts are not consistently removed after reporting.

Meta’s signup system reportedly lets minors enter false birth dates to appear over 13, with limited verification in place.