Meta has reached a settlement with California and 28 other U.S. states, agreeing to make significant changes to its Facebook and Instagram platforms. This agreement addresses allegations that these platforms have harmed teenagers and fostered addictive behaviors. As part of the settlement, Meta will implement new safeguards for teenage users across the United States. These measures include imposing daily usage limits, limiting notifications during school hours, and restricting overnight app access. Additionally, certain plastic surgery filters targeting young users will be curtailed.
The settlement, pending court approval, could see Meta paying up to $18 billion, which will be distributed among the participating states over the next decade. California is projected to receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion, while Colorado is expected to gain approximately $615 million. The states involved accused Meta of intentionally creating features that encouraged excessive screen time among young people. They also alleged that Meta collected data from children under 13 without obtaining adequate parental consent.
Despite these accusations, Meta has denied any wrongdoing. The company maintains that the settlement would be more effective if other leading social media platforms implemented similar protective measures. Meta has called on TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to adopt comparable safeguards to enhance the overall safety of social media for young users.
This agreement comes amid a growing wave of legal challenges facing Meta and other social media companies. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed by families, schools, and government officials, all alleging various harms associated with social media use among children and teenagers. The settlement with Meta marks a significant move by states to address these concerns and push for greater accountability in the tech industry.