Meta has reached a settlement with California and 28 other states to implement significant changes to its social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, due to allegations of harm and addictive behavior encouraged among teenagers. The agreement includes the introduction of new protections aimed at safeguarding teenage users across the U.S.
As part of the settlement, Meta will enforce daily usage limits and restrict notifications during school hours, as well as overnight access to its apps. Additionally, the company plans to limit the availability of certain plastic surgery filters that target young users. These measures are intended to address accusations that Meta deliberately designed features to keep teenagers engaged for extended periods.
The settlement, which is subject to court approval, could see Meta paying up to $18 billion over a decade. The funds would be distributed among the participating states, with California set to receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion and Colorado about $615 million. The states involved claimed that Meta collected data from children under 13 without the necessary parental consent.
While Meta has denied any wrongdoing, it emphasized that the settlement would be more effective if other major social media platforms adopted similar protections. The company has urged platforms like TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to implement comparable measures to enhance the safety of young users.
This agreement comes amid a growing number of lawsuits against Meta and other social media companies from families, schools, and government officials. These lawsuits focus on the alleged negative impacts of social media use on children and teenagers, highlighting a broader concern about the role of technology in young people’s lives.
