A watchdog says Meta pays influencers to fight teen bans worldwide
Meta is running a global campaign to push back against laws that would ban teenagers from social media, according to a new investigation by the Tech Transparency Project.
The effort relies on paid influencers and funded parent groups, the watchdog said. Meta developed the tactics in the United States, the watchdog said. It has since exported them to more than a dozen countries weighing similar restrictions. The findings are set out in a report published on Tuesday.
The template, the group said, began in Australia. The company acted five months before the country’s under-16 ban took effect. In July 2025, it invited parenting influencers to an “Instagram Safety Camp” at a waterfront venue overlooking Sydney Harbour. The company handed attendees branded swag and snacks, the report said.
Meta then told them that blanket bans do not work, and that Instagram’s parental supervision tools are a better way to keep children...
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