Suley2019
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 7, 2019
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Umoja wa Ulaya unachunguza Facebook na Instagram ikiwa zinaweza kuwa na uraibu wa kiwango cha juu kiasi kwamba zinakuwa na "athari mbaya" kwa "afya ya mwili na akili" ya watoto.
Pia itachunguza kama wamefanya vya kutosha kuhakikisha kuwa watumiaji ni wa umri unaoruhusiwa kuzitumia, na jinsi maudhui yanavyopendekezwa kwa watoto.
Kampuni kadhaa kubwa za teknolojia sasa zinachunguzwa kwa ukiukaji wa uwezekano wa Sheria mpya ya Huduma za Kidijitali (DSA) ya EU, na zinaweza kutozwa faini hadi asilimia 6 ya mapato ya mwaka ya kimataifa.
Meta, inayomiliki majukwaa yote mawili, inasema imetumia "muongo mmoja kuendeleza zaidi ya zana na sera 50" kulinda watoto.
"Hili ni changamoto inayokabili tasnia nzima, na tunatarajia kushiriki maelezo ya kazi yetu na Tume ya Ulaya," ilisema.
Mnamo Septemba, Meta iliwapa wasimamizi ripoti kuhusu hatari zinazohusiana na majukwaa yake, kama inavyotakiwa chini ya DSA.
EU imetoa mwitikio kwa kuanzisha taratibu.
"Tume ina wasiwasi kwamba mifumo ya Facebook na Instagram, ikiwa ni pamoja na algorithimu zao, inaweza kuchochea uraibu wa tabia kwa watoto, pamoja na kuunda athari zinazoitwa 'rabbit-hole'," EU ilisema ilipotangaza uchunguzi.
Athari za rabbit-hole zinaashiria tabia ya algorithimu, wakati mtumiaji anapotazama kipande kimoja cha maudhui yenye madhara, kupendekeza zaidi ya maudhui hayo hayo.
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The European Union is investigating Facebook and Instagram over whether they are so addictive that they are having "negative effects" on the "physical and mental health" of children.
It will also scrutinise if have done enough to check whether users are old enough to use them, and how content is recommended to children.
A number of big tech firms are now under investigation for potential breaches of the EU's tough new Digital Services Act (DSA), and could be fined up to 6% of annual global turnover.
Meta, which owns both platforms, says it has "spent a decade developing more than 50 tools and policies" to protect children.
"This is a challenge the whole industry is facing, and we look forward to sharing details of our work with the European Commission," it said.
in September, Meta provided regulators with a report on the risks associated with its platforms, as required under the DSA.
The EU has responded by beginning proceedings.
"The Commission is concerned that the systems of both Facebook and Instagram, including their algorithms, may stimulate behavioural addictions in children, as well as create so-called 'rabbit-hole effects'," the EU said announcing the investigation.
Rabbit-hole effects refer to the propensity of algorithms, when a user looks at one piece of harmful content, to suggest more of the same.
How Meta checks the ages of users - so called age assurance - is of concern to the EU.
"In addition, the Commission is also concerned about age-assurance and verification methods put in place by Meta", the statement added.
Algorithms which promote harmful content have also been a key concern of the UK communications watchdog Ofcom as it sets out how it may enforce the Online Safety Act.
As with most social networks, users of Meta platforms must be 13 or over, but as Ofcom revealed in a recent report many much younger children use accounts, sometimes with the knowledge of their parents.
