Meta Will Pay Up to $16.7 Billion to Settle Its Social Media Harms Case—and That’s Not All
In addition to sending billions of dollars to states, Meta will make substantive changes to its platforms as part of a landmark settlement.
Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.7 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by 29 US states regarding alleged harms caused by its social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook, to teenage users. The settlement, which requires judicial approval, includes several proposed changes to the platforms aimed at enhancing teen safety and well-being.
These changes include setting a default two-hour screen time limit across both platforms for teens, blocking the apps between midnight and 6 am, muting notifications between 8 am and 3 pm, and prompting teens to take breaks every 15 minutes of continuous usage. Additionally, notifications will increase when teens reach 60 and 90 minutes of use.
The settlement comes after Meta lost state trials in California and New Mexico, facing potential penalties of over $1 trillion. The company's first federal trial on youth-related issues began last week, with concerns about the company's alleged culture prioritizing engagement over user well-being. Testimonies from former employees and testimony from experts highlighted the negative impact of excessive social media use on teens' mental health, including increased rates of depression, loneliness, and self-harm.
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