Group of parents from Italy faces Meta and TikTok in Milan court over the use of social networks by minors

Logo of Instagram, Meta, and TikTok.
Reuters
An Italian group of parents and several families faced Meta and TikTok this Thursday (14) in the first hearing of a case that seeks to restrict the access of minors to social media platforms.
The hearing took place at the Milan business court and concerns a collective action filed by MOIGE, an Italian parents' movement, together with a group of families, against the companies that own Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
The lawsuit asks the Milan court to force platforms to adopt stricter age verification systems for users under 14.
The action also requests that platforms remove potentially manipulative algorithms and provide transparent information about the possible harm caused by excessive use.
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MOIGE stated that it intends to protect around 3.5 million Italian children between the ages of 7 and 14 who, according to the group, use networks social networks illegally.
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What the companies say
TikTok stated that the process is still ongoing and said it strictly applies its Community Guidelines, including rules aimed at protecting mental and behavioral health, in addition to proactively removing more than 99% of content that violates these standards.
"We also continue to invest in security measures to diversify recommended content, potentially block searches "We know that parents care about their teens' safety online, which is why we're constantly making changes to help protect them," the company said in a statement, mentioning its Teen Accounts and the protections they offer. Meta.
European Union must take action
In a statement, MOIGE said that lawyers for Meta and TikTok had filed preliminary objections, questioning the competence and jurisdiction of Italian courts to judge the companies' conduct.
The companies also challenged new documents presented by MOIGE's legal team, which, according to the parents' group, would demonstrate that the companies were aware of the potentially harmful effects of their algorithms on minors, including mechanisms created to increase user engagement.
MOIGE's lawyers argued that Italian courts have full jurisdiction over the case, which they classified as a public health issue, and asked the judges for an accelerated procedure in light of the alleged risks to children.
The court is expected to set a timetable for the next hearings at a later date.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that the European Union's executive arm is targeting practices considered addictive and harmful adopted by social media companies in its upcoming Digital Equity Law.
Amidst Similar initiatives in Australia, France and Greece, Spain announced in February plans to ban the use of social networks by teenagers.

Source: G1