Meta's proposed $18B settlement in teen harm case throws YouTube and TikTok under the bus, too

Meta has proposed a $18 billion settlement in a lawsuit brought against it by 52 US state attorneys general. The lawsuit alleged that Meta illegally collected data on underage users and designed the platform to put young users at risk and increase excessive use. Meta admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to make significant changes to its platforms for users under 18.

These changes include a two-hour daily time limit, default blocking of apps between midnight and 6AM, muted notifications during school hours, prompts to stop mindless scrolling, and disabling autoplay for videos. Meta also offered teens the option to choose a non-algorithmic feed as their default. The settlement will be distributed across the states and territories involved, with funds intended to address mental health harms to children from social media.

Meta is also pressuring YouTube and TikTok to adopt similar measures, withholding 30% of the settlement ($5.3 billion) until they do. This pressure tactic could reduce the settlement amount to around $12.7 billion if they fail to comply.