Meta pledges to overhaul kids’ safety protections, pay $17 billion to settle social media case
A multibillion-dollar settlement with attorneys general from nearly every U.S. state and territory will mean new privacy and safety protections in Meta products.
Meta has agreed to a multibillion-dollar settlement with attorneys general from nearly every U.S. state and territory. According to IOL, the company will pay as much as $16.7 billion, while Android Authority and MyJoyOnline Ghana report the figure could be around $18 billion.
The settlement addresses claims that Meta deliberately engineered its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to hook young users and misled the public about the risks. Meta has denied any wrongdoing. As part of the agreement, the company will impose new limits on how teenagers use its platforms, including default safeguards that restrict access to core functions like Reels and Stories during certain times of the day.
Some reports, including Slashdot, mention that teens will be limited to using the apps for two hours a day and blocked from using them between midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent. A portion of the payout, according to MyJoyOnline Ghana and Slashdot, hinges on whether competing platforms adopt similar safety standards. The agreement requires approval by a U.S. District Judge.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Record, IOL, Android Authority, MyJoyOnline Ghana, Slashdot — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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