Users must be at least 13 years old to use Meta's products, and users under 18 must have parental or guardian permission, though the terms rely primarily on user self-representation rather than active age verification.
This analysis describes what Meta's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The terms assert age restrictions for minors but rely on self-declaration rather than active verification, which is a common but increasingly scrutinized practice in the context of child safety regulations in multiple jurisdictions.
Interpretive note: The adequacy of self-declaration as the primary age verification mechanism is subject to ongoing regulatory scrutiny and may not satisfy requirements under COPPA, the UK Age Appropriate Design Code, or emerging state-level child online safety legislation.
The updated terms establish a jurisdictional change for consumers. Previously, all disputes had to be resolved in California courts; now, if you are a consumer or if your country requires it, dispute…
This provision prohibits users under 13 and requires parental permission for users aged 13 to 17, but enforcement relies on user-provided representations rather than technical age verification. Parents should be aware that the agreement places responsibility for compliance on users and their guardians rather than implementing mandatory technical controls.
How other platforms handle this
To be eligible to use the Venmo services, you must be a resident of the United States and at least 18 years of age. By accepting these terms, you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements. If you do not meet these requirements, you may not use the Venmo services.
You may not use Runway's tools to create content that promotes, glorifies, or facilitates acts of terrorism, mass violence, or genocide, or that could be used to provide material support to individuals or organizations engaged in such activities.
Customer will not, and will not permit any other person (including any End User) to: ... (d) attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code or underlying components (e.g., algorithms, weights, or systems) of the Mistral AI Products, including using the Outpu...
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"Our Products are not directed at children. You must be at least 13 years old to use our Products. If you are under the age of 18, you must have the permission of your parent or legal guardian to use our Products. You represent that you are 13 years of age or older, that you have the legal right to enter into this Agreement, and that you have not been previously banned from using our Products.— Excerpt from Meta's Meta Terms of Service
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates COPPA in the United States, which imposes specific obligations on operators of online services directed at children under 13, including verifiable parental consent requirements enforced by the FTC. The UK Age Appropriate Design Code and the EU's GDPR provisions on children's data (requiring Member State implementation of age of digital consent between 13 and 16) are also engaged for applicable jurisdictions. The DSA's child safety provisions may impose additional obligations for Meta as a very large online platform. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. Reliance on self-declaration for age verification is increasingly subject to regulatory scrutiny across multiple jurisdictions. Enforcement actions regarding children's access to social media platforms have been pursued by the FTC, state attorneys general, and EU data protection authorities. The adequacy of self-declaration as an age verification mechanism is contested in ongoing regulatory and legislative processes in the U.S., UK, and EU. JURISDICTION FLAGS: The UK Age Appropriate Design Code imposes design and data minimization obligations for services likely accessed by children under 18, which may be triggered regardless of the contractual age restriction. Several U.S. states have enacted or are considering child online safety laws that may impose additional obligations. EU member states have varying ages of digital consent ranging from 13 to 16. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations deploying Meta tools in educational, healthcare, or family-facing contexts should assess whether their use cases involve minors and whether additional safeguards beyond the terms' self-declaration requirement are necessary under applicable law. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should evaluate whether internal policies address the risk of minor users accessing services through Meta integrations, and whether parental consent mechanisms are required in their operating jurisdictions beyond what Meta's terms provide.
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The terms assert age restrictions for minors but rely on self-declaration rather than active verification, which is a common but increasingly scrutinized practice in the context of child safety regulations in multiple jurisdictions.
This provision prohibits users under 13 and requires parental permission for users aged 13 to 17, but enforcement relies on user-provided representations rather than technical age verification. Parents should be aware that the agreement places responsibility for compliance on users and their guardians rather than implementing mandatory technical controls.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 3 platforms. See the full comparison.
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