Meta was accused of collecting personal data of children without parental consent

Since at least 2019, Meta has deliberately refused to close most accounts of children under the age of 13, collecting their personal data without parental consent, writes CNN.

This is stated in a declassified court document that is part of a federal lawsuit against the social media giant.

Attorneys general from 33 states accused Meta of receiving more than a million reports from parents, friends, and members of the online community about Instagram users under the age of 13 between early 2019 and mid-2023.

However, according to the document, “Meta has disabled only a part of these accounts.”

According to the lawsuit, the company violated a number of US consumer protection laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPRA), which prohibits companies from collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent.

As a reminder, a group of prosecutors recently filed a lawsuit against Meta. They accuse her of making Facebook and Instagram features addictive and targeting children and teenagers.