A blue verification badge and the logos of Facebook and Instagram are seen in this picture illustration taken Jan 19, 2023. [Photo/Agencies]

BRUSSELS -- The European Commission on Thursday launched formal proceedings against American tech giant Meta's Facebook and Instagram, over concerns about child safety.

"The Commission is concerned that the systems of both Facebook and Instagram, including their algorithms, may stimulate behavioral addictions in children," said the European Commission in a statement.

The investigation will also examine Meta's age-assurance and verification methods, the Commission added.

The probe is being conducted under the European Union's (EU) Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect last year. The DSA obliges tech companies to do more to counter illegal content and mitigate risks such as disinformation or election manipulation on their platforms. Companies violating the DSA can face fines of up to 6 percent of their annual global turnover.

Facebook and Instagram have previously faced EU scrutiny over election disinformation in a case opened in late April, ahead of the European Parliament elections in June.