Social networks: Meta's new measures to protect teenagers are struggling to convince

Meta intends to rectify the situation against the teenagers. The American giant announced on Tuesday the implementation of new restrictions on access to certain content for adolescents aged 13 to 15 (18 years in certain countries) present on Facebook and Instagram, in order to promote “safe and secure” use. appropriate” for their age.

But these announcements are already causing controversy in the United States where the group is regularly singled out for its management of young users on its platforms. “Meta made exactly the same promises when its leaders testified in my Commission two years ago. Predictable and superficial,” reacted on X (ex-Twitter) Richard Blumenthal, senator from Connecticut, very committed to better control of social networks.

“It’s a way for Meta to avoid legislation on the subject,” reacts Gaia Bernstein, professor of law, and author of an essay on addiction caused by new technologies. “Studies show that the more time spent online, the more serious the harm. But Meta does nothing to change its addictive dimension because that would harm its economic model.”

Same disappointment for Arturo Bejar, a former Facebook engineer, who, last November, accused his former employer before the American Senate of being aware of the collateral damage caused among young people and of doing nothing about it. This former executive regrets in particular that the measures announced by Meta do not allow a teenager to easily denounce advances he may have been the victim of on his social networks. “The discussion should focus on concrete objectives and figures, on the harm suffered by teenagers,” he told Reuters on Tuesday.

Concretely, the Californian group will now place all adolescent accounts by default in the strictest configuration of Facebook and Instagram, which “makes it more difficult to come into contact with potentially sensitive content”. This will also limit access to the friends list to followed accounts as well as the ability to comment on posted messages.

Also new, searching content for certain terms, such as "self-harm", "suicide", "eating disorders" or "bulimia", will not produce any results for these adolescents. Instead, the user will be shown a prevention message suggesting that they contact a professional, a friend or consult a list of advice likely to help them, according to a message posted on the Meta website. This will not, however, prevent a teenager from discussing their possible problems on Instagram or Facebook with one of their contacts.

The timing of these Meta announcements owes nothing to chance. They intervene while Meta is in the hot seat. More than 40 American states launched legal action against the American giant at the end of October. Reason: they accuse Meta of having repeatedly misled the public about the dangers of its platforms and of having knowingly encouraged young people to use them in an addictive and compulsive manner, neglecting "the considerable damage" to "mental health and physical health of the young people of our country”.

“Meta exploited powerful and unprecedented technologies to lure (…) and ultimately trap young people and adolescents in order to make profits,” the attorneys general said in October in the introduction to their court complaint Californian. They also accuse Meta of violating the law on the confidentiality of personal data of children. They are asking the courts to force the company to put an end to its practices and demanding the payment of fines.

Meta will also be in the dock on January 31 before the US Senate. Its boss, Mark Zuckerberg, as well as the leaders of four other platforms (X, Discord, Snap, TikTok) will have to answer questions from senators on the online protection of children's rights.

Meta is also in the crosshairs of Brussels. The European Commission has called it to account for how it protects children from illegal and harmful content. Many states, including France, are also working on toughening legislation to better protect minors online.

Meta has tried in the past to reassure authorities by adding tools to help parents track their children's activities or to encourage teenagers to take breaks. He also had plans to launch an Instagram for preteens, before giving it up in the fall of 2021.

The financial stakes are high. Children and adolescents represent a growing share of the audience on these platforms. 63% of American teenagers say, in fact, that they use TikTok, 59% Instagram and 33% Facebook, according to a survey carried out last year by the Pew Research Center. However, they have long been a target of choice for brands advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Their goal is to attract them from a young age in order to retain them.

However, this time, the Californian giant is going a step further. “Instagram and Facebook will stop treating teenagers like adults,” headlines the Wall Street Journal. “This is the most important change driven by Meta to ensure that young people have more age-appropriate use of its social networks,” continues the American daily.

However, Meta's room for maneuver is narrow due to competition which has intensified over the past four years with TikTok, very popular with young people. Facebook's market share with this once very loyal audience has declined. Meta must now deal with its Chinese rival and the injunctions of regulators.