Facebook might have to start checking IDs at the door with a more discerning eye. According to a new survey, 7.5 million profiles on the site are operated by users younger than 13 years old, the minimum age to have a Facebook account.
According to a survey by Consumer Reports, a large majority of these kids on Facebook are under 10, and their parents don't monitor their activity on the site, which leaves them open to threats like cyber bullying or sexual predators.
"Despite Facebook's age requirements, many kids are using the site who shouldn't be," Consumer Reports' technology editor Jeff Fox said. "What's even more troubling was the finding from our survey that indicated that a majority of parents of kids 10 and under seemed largely unconcerned by their children's use of the site."
Facebook has admitted that it's aware of the problem, and earlier this year the company said it removes about 20,000 profiles every day, many of which belong to users that are younger than 13.
Out of 500 million Facebook users worldwide, Consumer Reports says 20 million are under the age of 18. Absent any manner of actually verifying a user's age, kids younger than 13 can simply join the site by providing a false birthday.
Some of the blame for the issue clearly lies with parents. A recent poll conducted by Liberty Mutual's Responsibility Project revealed that 17 percent of parents permit their pre-teen children to have Facebook profiles. It appears parents are becoming less concerned that a significant number of children are active in social media; the figure reported by Liberty Mutual more than doubled in just a year. In 2010, just eight percent of those polled said they allowed their kids to have accounts on sites like Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace.