All articles tagged with #underage users
OpenAI announced new policies to protect users under 18, including restrictions on sexual and self-harm discussions, and features for parental control, amid ongoing concerns and legal challenges related to chatbot interactions with minors.
Court documents reveal that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, intentionally designed its platforms to addict children and allowed underage users to hold accounts. The lawsuit, filed by attorneys general of 33 states, alleges that Meta knew about millions of complaints regarding underage users but only disabled a fraction of those accounts. The complaint also accuses Meta of violating the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act by not providing notice and obtaining parental consent before collecting data from children. The lawsuit highlights whistleblower Frances Haugen's revelations about the harmful effects of platforms like Instagram on children and Meta's intentional targeting of users under 18. Meta denies the allegations and suggests shifting the responsibility of policing underage usage to app stores and parents.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, is facing a legal complaint from the attorneys general of 33 states, accusing the social media giant of unlawfully collecting data from millions of users under the age of 13. The complaint alleges that Meta routinely documented the presence of underage users on Instagram but disabled only a fraction of their accounts, while continuing to collect their personal information without parental permission. The states are seeking civil penalties that could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. The complaint also accuses Meta of failing to prioritize effective age-checking systems and knowingly allowing underage users to lie about their age to create Instagram accounts. Meta has responded by stating that the complaint mischaracterizes their work and that they have measures in place to remove underage accounts.
Meta is lowering the minimum age for its Quest headsets from 13 to 10, with parental approval required for account creation and only safe apps recommended for that age group. Ads won't be shown to kids, and profiles and avatars for 10 to 12-year-olds will be set to private by default. The move is likely an attempt to get ahead of potential lawsuits or fines related to underage users, and the company is sensitive to the subject, requiring involved employees to sign a separate legal disclosure and mark docs as "A/C privilege."
Utah has become the first state in the US to impose a curfew on social media access for children and teens as part of sweeping reforms amid the dangers posed by harmful content on TikTok and other platforms. Under Utah’s laws, minors will be barred from using social media sites like TikTok, Snap and Instagram between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. The legislation also blocks social media companies from implementing addictive features and advertising aimed at underage users, and makes it easier for families alleging their children were harmed by the platforms to sue for damages.