In a significant development, Meta has finally agreed to pay nearly $16.68 billion (£12.26 billion) to settle a major US lawsuit over allegations that the company’s owned platforms, including Facebook and Instagram harmed young users and violated child privacy laws.
The settlement marks one of the biggest financial agreements involving a social media company and places several new restrictions on the usage of social media for teenagers.
Under the agreement, Meta will introduce some measures that are particularly aimed to offer greater security to all the youngsters to avoid any harm.
The measures include daily usage limits, night-time access blocks, stronger parental controls, restrictions during school hours and tougher age-verification systems.
It is pertinent to mention Meta has not admitted wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
How did the case begin?
Meta’s legal battle stems from a wider US crackdown on the impact of social media on children. State attorneys general accused Meta of designing its platforms to capture the attraction of youngsters despite concerns regarding possible effects on their mental and physical well being
The states alleged that Meta had violated several federal and state laws concerning children's privacy and had used Facebook and Instagram to "entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens."
Following the settlement, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb described the agreement as a "monumental public health victory."
In a blog post, Meta stated, “Today, we are announcing an agreement with a bipartisan group of 52 attorneys general across US states, territories, and the District of Columbia, building on our longstanding efforts to empower parents and support teens.”
“Over the years, we have consistently partnered with parents and experts — listening, learning, and building. That’s why we launched Teen Accounts in 2024, to bring automatic protections to teens, and more control for parents,” the statement added.
Additionally, Meta has urged TikTok and YouTube "to join us and state attorneys general in adopting this new standard, to ensure teens use social media in a healthy and responsible way".
