Children under 13 (or 16 in some regions) are not allowed to use Facebook, and Meta says it will delete any data it discovers was collected from children under 13.
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
This provision implements compliance with children's privacy regulations, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States and similar regulatory frameworks in other jurisdictions. The deletion obligation establishes a remedial process when age restrictions are not observed.
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, disputes must be resolved in courts within your home country under your home country's laws. For Meta's own claims against you, the agreement still requires disputes to proceed exclusively in California courts. The revised terms also now require Meta to notify you at least 30 days in advance before making changes to these Terms, and you will have the opportunity to review them before they take effect, unless changes are required by law.
View change record →While Meta prohibits users under 13, its age verification mechanisms have been found inadequate by regulators in the US and EU, meaning children's personal data may be collected and used for advertising in violation of their legal protections under COPPA and GDPR.
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"People who are under 13 years old (or under 16 in some locations) are not allowed to use Facebook. We do not knowingly collect information from or about children under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, please do not attempt to register for or otherwise use the Services or send us any personal information. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under age 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.— Excerpt from Meta's Meta Terms of Service
(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision directly engages COPPA (15 U.S.C. §6501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 16 C.F.R. Part 312, enforced by the FTC, which prohibits collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. GDPR Art. 8 sets the digital consent age at 16 (with member states permitted to lower to 13), and requires parental consent for children below that threshold. The UK Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code, ICO) imposes heightened data protection standards for services likely to be accessed by under-18s. The FTC's 2023 complaint and proposed order against Meta specifically alleged systemic violations of COPPA and the 2020 FTC order regarding Instagram and children's privacy. (2)
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This provision implements compliance with children's privacy regulations, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States and similar regulatory frameworks in other jurisdictions. The deletion obligation establishes a remedial process when age restrictions are not observed.
While Meta prohibits users under 13, its age verification mechanisms have been found inadequate by regulators in the US and EU, meaning children's personal data may be collected and used for advertising in violation of their legal protections under COPPA and GDPR.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Meta.