Meta reaches settlement over teen safety, changes platform design
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Social media giant Meta has agreed to a settlement worth up to $17 billion with 47 US states following accusations it designed platforms to encourage addiction and misled the public about harm to children.
The agreement requires Meta to alter the functionality of Instagram and Facebook over the next decade. These changes include limiting screen time for minors, blocking some features at night, muting notifications during school hours, and improving age verification processes.
The case began in 2023 when US states alleged that Meta knowingly created platforms that fostered dependency and deceived people about potential risks to young users. States also claimed Meta collected data from children under 13 without parental consent. Legal expert Mindaugas Civilka of TEGOS explains the settlement’s importance extends beyond financial penalties, as it addresses the very design of the social networks themselves and the mechanisms used to capture, especially young, users' attention.
A key part of the agreement is the implementation of reliable age verification. Meta will consider age signals from Google and Apple operating systems and app stores, categorizing users into three groups: 18 and older, 13 to 17, and under 13. Use of Meta products will be prohibited for children under 13. For users under 18, a daily two-hour limit will be imposed on Instagram and Facebook usage, with warnings and suggested breaks after 15, 60, and 90 minutes.
Parents can modify these limits through parental supervision features, but increasing them requires the teen's consent. The settlement also creates pressure on other social media companies like TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat to adopt similar safety measures, as part of the funds will only be paid out if they do. Regulators hope to establish consistent safety standards across the entire market.
