Meta calls for the adoption of laws that would introduce an obligation for app stores to receive parental approval when children download digital products to their own devices.
Experts say that the implementation of this legal initiative would make digital stores, similar to the platforms run by Apple and Google, in some sense dependent on parental control. In this case, the degree of influence of companies working in social networks on the mentioned virtual platform decreases.
Meta, the structure of the digital ecosystem of which includes the world-famous digital platforms Instagram and Facebook, has been at the center of criticism because of its practice interacting with teenagers using apps owned by the tech giant. Antigone Davis, the head of the company’s worldwide security department, to eliminate the relevant problems, calls for a simple solution that applies to the entire social media industry. According to her, in this case, it is necessary to introduce the practice of approving app downloads by parents of teenagers who want to access a digital product. She also expressed support for federal legislation, according to which parental control should be applied whenever users under the age of 16 download apps.
Antigone Davis says that if her proposed solution is implemented, parents will receive notifications from digital product stores when their children decide to make a virtual purchase. She noted that adults can check the age of a teenager. In this case, the need to repeat this procedure in several apps is eliminated.
The call of the technology giant was announced amid an increase in the number of lawsuits related to the use of digital products by children and adolescents. Also about a week ago, a certain informant told the US Congress that, in his opinion, Instagram is not making enough efforts to protect minors from harm in the online environment. This informant said that his 14-year-old daughter had faced sexual harassment on the mentioned platform.
Meta said it has already implemented more than 30 tools to ensure a secure online environment. However, politicians in the United States prefer to adopt regional laws to solve the problem of harm in the virtual space. Experts say that this legal trend in the future may complicate the legal framework for Meta and other companies operating in the online environment.
The tech giant, which digital ecosystem includes Facebook and Instagram, insists that a national law should be adopted to solve this problem. Antigone Davis says that the social media industry should unite with lawmakers to create simple and effective ways for parental control over the activity of teenagers in an online environment. According to her, legislation is needed that establishes a single standard for all apps used by minors.
In the EU, data privacy laws have already forced Meta to introduce a subscription fee to get around the new regulations.
Antigone Davis says that assigning responsibility for parental control to app stores will help ensure the protection of personal information by limiting the number of companies collecting relevant data.
As we have reported earlier, Meta Works to Prevent Inappropriate Replies From New AI Chatbots.
