Unprecedented teen protections on Instagram see $18B lawsuit settled
Meta has reached a settlement with US states in an $18B lawsuit accusing the social media giant of deliberately making Instagram addictive to teenagers. The money will be used to fund youth safety initiatives and more, though there is a catch. More importantly, the company has agreed to introduce unprecedented protections against overuse of its social media apps by teens …
Meta has agreed to pay $18 billion to US states in a settlement over allegations that the company made Instagram addictive for teenagers. The money will be used for youth safety initiatives, though the 30% remaining amount is conditional on YouTube and TikTok implementing similar measures. The settlement follows a coordinated lawsuit by attorneys general from 52 US states, territories, and the District of Columbia, who claimed that Meta's algorithms were designed to keep teens addicted to the platform.
New protections will automatically apply to under-18s, including time limits, night mode, and age-appropriate content filters. However, these measures are only guaranteed for five years unless YouTube and TikTok adopt similar limits. The settlement represents a significant step towards protecting teenage users, but its long-term success depends on proper enforcement.
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