Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years and introduce sweeping new protections for teenage users as part of a landmark settlement with nearly all U.S. states.
The agreement settles a major U.S. legal battle in which authorities accused Meta of designing its platforms in ways that encouraged addictive use and exposed children to mental-health and safety risks. Meta denied wrongdoing.
Two hour daily limit for teens
- One of the biggest changes will be a two hour daily usage limit for users under 18 across Facebook and Instagram combined.
- The limit will generally be a default setting, with parents able to authorize changes.
Overnight access blocked
- Meta will also restrict teen access to Facebook and Instagram between midnight and 6 a.m.
- Direct messaging will receive an exception under the agreement, allowing certain communication to continue during the overnight period.
Likes hidden from teenagers
- The settlement also calls for like and reaction counts to be hidden by default for users under 18.
- The aim is to reduce social comparison and pressure associated with engagement metrics.
School-hour notifications restricted
- Meta will restrict push notifications to teenagers during school hours and introduce additional reminders encouraging young users to take breaks.
- The company will also strengthen parental supervision tools and reporting mechanisms for potentially harmful content.
Stronger age verification
- Another major component is stronger age assurance technology.
- Meta will use AI and other tools to identify accounts belonging to users who are underage, including efforts to prevent children under 13 from maintaining accounts on the platforms.
Mental health and sexual exploitation allegations
- The legal battle involved allegations that Meta’s products contributed to mental health problems among children and teenagers and that the company failed to adequately protect minors from harmful interactions and sexual exploitation.
- Authorities also alleged that Meta had misrepresented the safety of its platforms and failed to prevent children under 13 from accessing its services.
- Meta has consistently denied wrongdoing and has argued that it has already introduced numerous safety and parental control features.
Where will the money go?
- The settlement could reach approximately $18 billion over a decade.
- About $12.7 billion is guaranteed, while an additional amount is linked to other major social media platforms adopting comparable protections.
- Some of the settlement money could be directed toward initiatives addressing youth mental health and consumer protection.
Not a global ban
- An important point for Indian users: the settlement’s new requirements apply to the United States, not automatically to teenagers in India.
- However, the agreement could have international consequences because governments around the world are considering tougher regulations governing children’s access to social media.
Critics say more needs to be done
- While child safety advocates welcomed the settlement, some experts questioned whether time limits and nighttime restrictions go far enough.
- Critics argue that deeper changes to recommendation algorithms, addictive design features and content systems may be necessary to address the underlying concerns about social media harm.
Why this matters
- The agreement could become a major turning point in how social media companies design services for young people.
- It puts pressure on competitors such as TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to consider similar restrictions and could influence lawmakers in other countries.
- The settlement also represents a significant legal and financial development for Meta, although the payment is unlikely to fundamentally change the company’s core advertising business.
