Meta pays influencers to fight teen social media bans

This article was published on August 19, 2026 The Tech Transparency Project says Meta stages branded events and pays local influencers to argue that its Teen Accounts make social media bans unnecessary. The tactics have spread to more than a dozen countries. Meta says its partnerships are disclosed and standard practice. Entrance sign at Meta’s headquarters complex in Menlo Park, California. 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