Facebook policy advisor Mozelle Thompson revealed that the website removes 20,000 user accounts per day that are created by users who are under 13 years of age. The number was revealed at a hearing of the Australian Parliament’s Cyber-Safety Committee. Facebook has faced growing scrutiny of its privacy policies and how they affect teenagers both in Australia and the US.
While the company contends it is making a vigorous effort to weed out preteens, it is a difficult task given that the site has 600 million users worldwide. Last April several Senators, led by Al Franken (D-Mn.) sent a letter expressing concern about Facebook’s privacy controls. Franken stepped up pressure last week over the company’s plans to allow access to user names and addresses. Underage users are a special challenge for Facebook because of concerns over exploitation and exposure to online predators.
