Meta settles in US states lawsuit on teen user addiction

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has reached a settlement with a coalition of 47 US states over alleged harm caused to teenage users of its social media platforms. The agreement, worth up to $16.7 billion (€14.3 billion), requires the tech giant to implement new safety measures and restrictions on teen usage.

The settlement still needs court approval and outlines various changes, including a hard cap of 2 hours of daily use across Meta's platforms, a suspension during overnight hours (midnight to 6 a.m.) and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during school hours. Parents can lift these restrictions, and Meta will default to a "School Mode" with muted notifications during school hours, except for safety critical alerts.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta hailed the deal as bringing "real change, real transparency, and real enforceable protections for children." However, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones criticized Meta for intentionally putting youth health at risk, arguing the changes will stop dangerous practices and protect children from online harm.

Meta will also require identifying and removing younger users, responding to 90% of teen reports on harmful content within 6 hours, and offering a non-personalized feed as default for under-18s. The payments will be distributed over 10 years, with 70% going to participating states, and the remaining 30% released after YouTube and TikTok adopt the same measures.

Meta's Chief Legal Officer C.J. Mahoney called for industry-wide action, stating Meta will boost restrictions if peers also sign up, lowering the Daily Limit to one hour per app and expanding Night Mode hours to 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.