Bahnbrechender Vergleich: Instagram limitiert in den USA, wie lange Kinder den Online-Dienst nutzen dürfen

In a landmark settlement, Meta, the parent company behind Instagram and Facebook, agreed to pay a $18 billion fine to settle a lawsuit alleging the company has made children and teenagers addicted to its products and caused them psychological harm. The legal action was initiated by a coalition of Republican and Democratic state attorneys general, who claimed Meta's platforms were responsible for creating a digital addiction among minors.

Despite the lack of admission of guilt, Meta agreed to the settlement after months of negotiations, with the financial burden shared among the 49 states that signed the agreement; Florida is the only state opting to pursue the matter further. The settlement includes not only the monetary compensation but also a series of new child protection measures.

These include a two-hour daily usage limit that can only be overridden by parents, daily reminders encouraging mindful social media use, and an automatic overnight block on access for minors under 18. Meta also promises to better protect children from harmful content, disable autoplay for videos, and remove certain filters allowing for extreme physical alterations.

The new rules are set to last for at least five years and will be subject to judicial oversight. The deal only applies to states that have signed the agreement; Florida remains outside the accord. Meta's commitment comes amid a wave of lawsuits against major American social media companies, including a $567 million judgment against Facebook in New Mexico for allegedly encouraging excessive social media use among youth.