Nov 27, 2023 12:00:00

Attorneys general from 33 states sue Meta, saying ``Instagram was collecting data in silence from users under 13 who ignored age restrictions.''

Instagram and Facebook's

terms of service prohibit users under the age of 13 from creating accounts. However, lawsuits filed against Meta by attorneys general in 33 states, including California and Colorado, show that Meta not only rarely disables the accounts of users under 13, but also that Meta does not disable the accounts of users under 13 without parental consent. It has been pointed out that data continued to be collected.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
(PDF file) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.419868/gov.uscourts.cand.419868.73.2.pdf

At Meta, Millions of Underage Users Were an 'Open Secret,' States Say - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/25/technology/instagram-meta-children-privacy.html

Meta Failed to Disable Underage Users' Instagram Accounts, Lawsuit Alleges | PCMag
https://www.pcmag.com/news/meta-failed-to-disable-underage-users-instagram-accounts-lawsuit-alleges

Unsealed complaint says Meta 'coveted' under-13s and deceives the public about age enforcement
https://www.engadget.com/unsealed-complaint-says-meta-coveted-under-13s-and-deceives-the-public-about-age-enforcement-231034682.html

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by attorneys general from 33 states, including California and Colorado, alleges that ``Meta, with the understanding that millions of Instagram users are under the age of 13, 'We handle this data on a daily basis and perform daily documentation and data analysis. Meta is also diligently protecting this data so that it is not disclosed to the public.'

Instagram hascreated a form to report accounts that appear to have been created by users under the age of 13, and Meta states that ``accounts of children under the age of 13 reported through this form will be immediately deleted.'' Masu.

However, the plaintiffs say that from 2019 to 2023, Meta received more than 1.1 million reports of Instagram accounts created by users under the age of 13, but only removed a small number of the accounts. About. It has also been pointed out that the children continued to collect personal information such as email addresses and phone numbers on a daily basis without their parents' permission.

The plaintiffs allege that Meta's actions routinely violate

the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which stipulates that children's online data should be under the control of their parents. If found to be in violation of COPPA, Meta will be fined up to $50,120 (approximately 7.5 million yen) for each individual violation.

Speaking to The New York Times, which reported on the matter, Meta said, ``This lawsuit appears to misunderstand our work by using selective quotations and arbitrarily selected sentences.'' ``Meta takes sufficient measures, such as deleting accounts, if we identify an account that appears to have been created by a user under the age of 13.''