Meta Agrees to Up to $18 Billion Payment and New Teen Restrictions
Business
Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over ten years under a settlement with attorneys general representing U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia. The company will also introduce sweeping changes to how minors use Facebook and Instagram.
The agreement follows lawsuits alleging that Meta used features that could encourage excessive social-media use among teenagers and failed to adequately protect minors from potential harm. Meta has not admitted wrongdoing or liability as part of the settlement.
About $12.7 billion of the payment is guaranteed, while another $5.3 billion depends on TikTok and YouTube adopting comparable safeguards for teenagers and making matching payments. The funds will be distributed through annual installments over ten years and may be used for youth online-safety initiatives and other state priorities.
Under the agreement, users under 18 will face a default two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram. Access will be blocked from midnight to 6 a.m., while notifications will be muted during school hours. Parents will be able to override certain restrictions.
Meta will also strengthen parental controls, introduce enhanced age-assurance technology, identify accounts belonging to children under 13, limit the display of likes and reactions for teenagers and offer access to a non-personalized feed.
The company is further required to strengthen systems for reporting potentially harmful content and submit to independent oversight of compliance with the settlement. Most of the new measures are expected to remain in place for ten years and will take effect after court approval.
Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safeguards, arguing that consistent standards across platforms are necessary to protect teenagers effectively. Florida and New Mexico, among other jurisdictions, did not join the settlement and are continuing separate legal proceedings.
About $12.7 billion of the payment is guaranteed, while another $5.3 billion depends on TikTok and YouTube adopting comparable safeguards for teenagers and making matching payments. The funds will be distributed through annual installments over ten years and may be used for youth online-safety initiatives and other state priorities.
Under the agreement, users under 18 will face a default two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram. Access will be blocked from midnight to 6 a.m., while notifications will be muted during school hours. Parents will be able to override certain restrictions.
Meta will also strengthen parental controls, introduce enhanced age-assurance technology, identify accounts belonging to children under 13, limit the display of likes and reactions for teenagers and offer access to a non-personalized feed.
The company is further required to strengthen systems for reporting potentially harmful content and submit to independent oversight of compliance with the settlement. Most of the new measures are expected to remain in place for ten years and will take effect after court approval.
Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safeguards, arguing that consistent standards across platforms are necessary to protect teenagers effectively. Florida and New Mexico, among other jurisdictions, did not join the settlement and are continuing separate legal proceedings.
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