Meta Agrees To $17 Billion Settlement Over Teen Safety Lawsuit; Will Introduce 2-Hour Daily Usage Limit For Kids Under 18
Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion to settle a landmark lawsuit brought by a coalition of state attorneys general, who accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to children and teenagers, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office. States allege compulsive-use design, cover-up The lawsuit, filed in 2023 and led by California along with Colorado,…
Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by state attorneys general accusing the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to children and teenagers, according to a spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 and led by California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, alleged that Meta's features encouraged compulsive use among young people, harmed their mental and physical health, and misled users about these risks.
The settlement requires Meta to introduce a two-hour daily usage limit for teens on Facebook and Instagram, with parental consent to lift the limit. Additional restrictions include an overnight block from midnight to 6 am, hiding likes and reactions for under-18 users, banning image filters that could distort young users' appearances, and offering a non-personalised feed.
Meta must strengthen age verification systems, expand parental supervision tools, and allow independent auditing of its practices. The company denies wrongdoing and calls for other social media platforms to adopt similar measures.
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