Facebook requires users to be at least 13 years old before creating an account. This minimum age requirement serves several purposes related to legal compliance, user safety, and providing an appropriate experience for people of different ages.
Legal Compliance
The primary reason Facebook has set 13 as the minimum age is to comply with the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA is a United States law passed in 1998 that regulates how websites and online services handle the personal information of children under 13.
Some key parts of COPPA that are relevant to Facebook’s minimum age policy include:
Parental Consent Requirement
COPPA requires websites and online services to get verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing the personal information of children under 13.
Facebook does not attempt to get parental consent from users under 13. So to comply with COPPA, Facebook simply bans children under 13 from using their service.
Safe Harbor Provision
COPPA includes a “safe harbor” provision that says websites and online services will not be liable for collecting information from a child if they make a good faith effort to implement measures restricting access for under 13 year olds.
By setting a minimum age of 13, Facebook is making that good faith effort to comply with the safe harbor rule.
FTC Oversight
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversees enforcement of COPPA. The FTC can impose hefty fines and other penalties against companies that violate COPPA.
Facebook obviously wants to avoid FTC punishment, so they comply with COPPA by banning under 13 users.
User Safety
In addition to complying with COPPA, Facebook’s minimum age helps protect the safety and privacy of younger children.
Some of the user safety reasons for restricting under-13 use include:
Personal Information Sharing
Facebook recognizes younger users may not fully understand privacy controls or the potential consequences of sharing personal information online.
Digital Literacy
Younger users may not have the digital literacy needed to identify scams, avoid predators, or deal with cyberbullying.
Advertising and Inappropriate Content
Facebook allows advertising and user-generated content that may not be age-appropriate for pre-teens.
By limiting the platform to 13 and over, Facebook aims to provide a safer environment for younger would-be users.
Appropriate Experience
In addition to legal compliance and user safety, Facebook’s 13+ policy aims to provide an experience better suited to teenagers versus small children. Reasons why Facebook is designed for teens and older include:
Communication Expectations
Facebook communication norms, like friending people you do not know well or posting publicly, may not match the way pre-teens like to interact online.
Interest-Based Content
Facebook groups, events, ads, and suggested posts target the interests of teenagers and adults. Younger kids may not engage with that content.
Maturity Level
Facebook requires a level of emotional and social maturity that most pre-teens have not yet developed. This can lead to drama or misbehavior.
By sticking to 13+, Facebook aims to provide an experience tailored to the norms and interests of teenagers and older users.
Enforcement of Minimum Age
Facebook takes various steps to enforce their minimum age policy and restrict underage users:
Reporting Violations
Users can report accounts belonging to underage children. Facebook will prompt the user to verify their age or suspend the account.
Age Targeting in Ads
Facebook does not allow advertisers to target ads specifically to children under 13.
AI and Manual Checks
Facebook uses AI and human reviewers to check for signs of underage use, like posts about being in 6th grade. These accounts get flagged for further verification or suspension.
Confirming Birthdate
During signup, Facebook requires new users to confirm their birthdate. Accounts with birthdates showing the user is under 13 get blocked.
Requiring ID Verification
If Facebook finds evidence of underage use, they may require the user to send in ID to prove they are over 13 and allow continued use of the account.
Despite these measures, some under-13 users inevitably slip through the cracks. But Facebook continuously works to improve their age verification and underage user detection efforts.
Criticisms of 13+ Minimum Age
While Facebook’s 13-year minimum age policy serves legal, safety, and user experience purposes, it has also faced various criticisms:
Excluding Younger Users
Some argue that banning under-13s excludes many children from fully participating online and connecting with friends and family.
Pushing Kids to Lie About Their Age
Since kids under 13 want to join Facebook, the age limit motivates them to lie and create accounts listing fake older ages.
Not Stopping Determined Under 13 Users
Savvy under-13 users with parental permission can still circumvent Facebook’s age checks using false birthdates and borrowed IDs.
Other Social Media Have Lower Minimums
Some competing social networks like Snapchat only require users to be at least 13 years old, while still attempting to provide safe experiences for younger teens.
Hard Line Cutoff Around Arbitrary Age
Critics argue there are 12-year-olds more mature than some 13-year-olds, so the single age cutoff is an imperfect measure.
Calls to Lower the Minimum Age
In response to criticisms of excluding younger children, there have been calls for Facebook to lower its minimum age requirement.
For example, in mid-2021 a group of U.S. senators proposed new legislation that would:
– Lower COPPA’s minimum age from 13 to 12
– Require tech companies to let children ages 12-15 access platforms with parental consent
However, Facebook has resisted these calls and kept their minimum age firm at 13. Their public reasoning continues to focus on legal compliance, user safety, and the inappropriateness of their platform for pre-teens.
Creation of Messenger Kids
While the main Facebook app and site maintains a 13+ age limit, in late 2017 Facebook introduced a separate product called Messenger Kids.
Messenger Kids was Facebook’s solution for providing a safer communication space specifically for younger children ages 6-12 while still restricting them from the main Facebook platform until age 13.
Key facts about Messenger Kids include:
Parental Controls
– Parents download and control kids accounts through their own Facebook account
– Parents approve all contacts
Content Restrictions
– No ads, social media features, or in-app purchases
– Kid-appropriate stickers, frames, gifs, and emoji
Safety Features
– Parents can monitor chats remotely in real-time
– Reporting options to flag concerning content
By creating a product specifically designed for under-13s, Facebook aimed to give younger kids access to age-appropriate online communication under parental supervision.
Educational Efforts
In addition to products like Messenger Kids, Facebook also aims to educate parents and children about their minimum age policies and online safety:
Reminders About Age Limit
– Facebook displays reminders about their 13+ requirement during the sign-up process.
Educational Hub for Parents
– Facebook provides a “Parents Portal” with guides on topics like talking to kids about social media and setting parental controls.
Youth Safety Resources
– Facebook offers a “Youth Portal” with tips for teens on subjects like privacy, identifying hoaxes, and bullying.
Through these ongoing educational initiatives, Facebook works to increase awareness and compliance around their minimum age requirement.
Looking to the Future
Facebook has given no indication they plan to lower their minimum age below 13 anytime soon. They appear committed to following COPPA rules, keeping underage users safe, and maintaining a 13+ community.
However, Facebook may face increasing pressure from legislators, child advocates, and competitors to open their platform to younger users with proper parental supervision tools in place.
It remains to be seen if Facebook will bend and create access for under-13s, or continue to hold firm with their longstanding minimum age of 13. Regardless, the company will likely maintain some age divide between the Messenger Kids and main Facebook experiences.
Conclusion
Facebook’s minimum age requirement of 13 serves the legal purpose of complying with COPPA rules in the United States. But the age limit also aims to protect young users from inappropriate content and communications, while providing an experience tailored to teens and older.
Critics argue excluding pre-teens prevents participation, pushes kids to lie about their age, and employs an arbitrary cutoff age not reflective of individual maturity differences.
It’s unclear if Facebook will ever lower their age minimum. But they continue defending the 13+ limit as the right balance between legal obligations, user safety, and creating an optimal community experience. Facebook also offers the separate Messenger Kids app to provide appropriate social media access to the under-13 demographic under parental supervision.