Meta Settles With States for $18 Billion to Improve Youth Online Safety

Meta has reached an $18 billion settlement with dozens of US states to address concerns regarding the mental health of young users. The administration announced that the agreement includes significant design changes to Facebook and Instagram, such as a two-hour daily time limit for teens, a "night mode" from midnight to 6 am, and a "school mode" that limits notifications during school hours. While the settlement is a major milestone, it does not require Meta to admit wrongdoing. The company will also turn off "like" counts and extreme beauty filters by default for teens. To ensure accountability, an independent auditor will review Meta's implementation of these changes. Parents and safety advocates expressed mixed reactions. Some, like Lori Schott, praised the movement in the right direction, while others, hoped for more transparency regarding the algorithms that keep children addicted to the platforms. The settlement also includes a provision where Meta will pay the full amount unless TikTok and YouTube agree to make similar improvements.

Sources

• Al Jazeera
  Parents who lost children to social media harms question Meta settlement
• The New York Times
  Opinion | As Meta Enters Its Zombie Era, Every Blow Counts
• The Atlantic
  How to Lose $12 Billion and Still Win
• CNN
  Here’s what Meta’s $18 billion multistate settlement could mean for kids — and for its bottom line
• Politico
  Why Meta’s courtroom concession is a BFD