Europe seeks stricter age limits for TikTok, Instagram and Facebook

A German court has determined that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is responsible for fake advertisements posted by third parties on their platforms. The decision mandates Meta to remove the fraudulent content and compensate the affected parties. The lawsuit was filed by the operator of a German financial portal and its founder, whose trademarked logo and image were unlawfully used in posts endorsing fraudulent investment opportunities.

Over 260 instances of such violations were reported to Meta in August 2024, but the company took up to 62 days to remove some of the content. The court dismissed Meta's defense of not being aware of the illegal activity, as they have greater control over content through their algorithms and advertising practices compared to platforms with purely chronological feeds.

The ruling cites a similar case from the European Court of Justice in June. Meta expressed disagreement with the decision and stated that they have implemented measures for proactive detection and removal of reported content. The court ordered Meta to disclose information about the fake advertisements and the revenue generated from them. The ruling, dated September 16, is not yet final and may be subject to appeal.