Consumer rights group demands 80 billion yen fine for 'TikTok and Meta neglecting to protect minors'

While social media such as Instagram and TikTok are popular among minors, they are also said to be harmful, with the European Commission pointing out that they are ' harmful to children's mental health ' and that ' measures to protect minors are insufficient .' According to a report by Reuters, a British news agency, a Brazilian consumer rights group filed a lawsuit against TikTok and Meta on October 28, 2024, seeking 3 billion reais (approximately 80 billion yen) in damages.

Brazil institute sues social media giants for $525 mln over usage by minors
https://www.reuters.com/technology/brazil-institute-sues-social-media-giants-525-million-over-excessive-use-by-2024-10-28/

Brazil actively regulates social media, and in August 2024, the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered X (formerly Twitter) to suspend its services in the country . X was eventually allowed to resume its services in early October, but the judge in charge emphasized that the conditions for resuming activities were full compliance with Brazilian law and 'respect for national sovereignty and absolute compliance with judicial decisions.'

Brazil's Supreme Court approves reinstatement of X (formerly Twitter) in exchange for absolute submission to the judiciary - GIGAZINE

According to Reuters, social media regulation has become a hot topic in Brazil due to the dispute between the Brazilian Supreme Court and X. On October 28, 2024, about half a month after X resumed its service in Brazil, the Brazilian consumer rights group, the Collective Defense Institute, filed two lawsuits, including damages, against TikTok, Meta, and Kwai , a Chinese short video app.

In the lawsuit, the Collective Defense Institute alleges that the companies 'failed to implement mechanisms to prevent indiscriminate use of these social media platforms by minors,' and is calling on them to implement clear data protection mechanisms and to issue warnings about the risks to children and young people's mental health caused by addiction to the platforms. The lawsuit is based on multiple studies that have demonstrated the risks of social media use.

'To ensure a safer and healthier experience, the company must take immediate steps to change the way its algorithms work, how it processes the data of users under the age of 18, and how it monitors and creates accounts for people over the age of 13,' lawyer Lilian Salgado, one of the plaintiffs, said in the lawsuit.

In response to the lawsuit, Meta said in a statement, 'We want young people to have a safe and age-appropriate experience on our app. We've been working on this issue for over 10 years and have developed over 50 tools, resources and features to help teens and their parents.' At the same time, Meta announced a new feature on Instagram called 'Teen Accounts' that automatically limits which accounts teens can view and contact, and said it will soon be available in Brazil.

Kwai also said in a statement that 'user safety, especially for minors, is one of our top priorities.' Meanwhile, TikTok responded that it had not received any notice about the matter.