Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has committed to a payment of up to $18 billion (£13.24 billion) to resolve claims from 29 U.S. states regarding the impact of its platforms on children.
California’s Attorney General, representing one of the suing states, emphasized that the settlement encompasses a variety of measures designed to safeguard users under 18. These measures include:
– A default daily time limit of two hours for users under 18, adjustable only by a parent.
– A default nighttime restriction from midnight to 6:00 AM for users under 18, also adjustable by a parent.
– Automatic blocks on notifications for users under 18 from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM and during school hours.
– An enhanced mechanism for teens to report harmful content, with a commitment from Meta to respond to 90% of reports within six hours.
– A prohibition on displaying like or reaction counts to users under 18.
– A ban on filters related to cosmetic procedures for users under 18.
– The option for users under 18 to access a non-personalized feed.
– A commitment to improve parental supervision tools.
To implement these changes, Meta has agreed to robust age verification measures to identify users under 18 and to remove accounts belonging to those under 13. An independent auditor will oversee the process, ensuring compliance and transparency, while an injunction will prevent Meta from making misleading statements about its safety features.
However, the implementation of these changes may not be straightforward. For instance, while videos will no longer autoplay, teens will have the option to adjust settings related to content personalization. The default settings will prevent teens from seeing like counts, which may require significant adjustments from Meta to facilitate.
The most significant aspects of the settlement—such as the daily time limit and nighttime restrictions—prompt critical questions regarding their functionality. Will the app simply stop opening, display a blank screen, or provide a message to try again later? Currently, we can confirm that these changes are forthcoming.
Meta plans to distribute the agreed payment of approximately $18 billion (£13.2 billion) in annual installments over a decade. Attorneys general from various states have mentioned a figure of up to $17.1 billion (£12.57 billion) for Meta’s payout. The funds will support youth online safety initiatives and other state priorities, with participating states receiving around 70%, or about $12.7 billion (£9.3 billion), over ten years. The remaining 30% will be contingent upon specific conditions being met by other social media platforms.
Meta anticipates incurring approximately $10 billion (£7.3 billion) in legal expenses related to this agreement in the third quarter of this year. The company asserts that this settlement aims to promote industry-wide standards, ensuring consistent protections for teens across popular platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
While most terms of the settlement will remain in effect for ten years, the most visible changes—such as the daily time limit and nighttime restrictions—will only last for five years unless other companies adopt similar measures.
Despite not admitting any wrongdoing, Meta’s decision to settle reflects a shift in strategy after a challenging period in court, where evidence suggested prior awareness of harmful content on its platforms without adequate action. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that this agreement will significantly enhance the safety of social media for children and families, highlighting substantial changes that will be implemented swiftly.
Meta is also urging other companies to contribute to this initiative. While it has agreed to enhance its age verification technology, it is calling on app stores to provide verified age information. This echoes earlier requests from Meta for laws that would shift this responsibility to app stores rather than social media companies.
The effectiveness of Meta’s new default limits will depend on the collaboration of rival platforms. Given the increasing scrutiny on social networks globally, there is a pressing need for collective action.
To summarize what we know about Meta’s settlement:
– Meta will pay up to $18 billion (£13.2 billion) to resolve claims from 29 U.S. states regarding child safety on its platforms.
– The settlement arises from a 2023 lawsuit alleging violations of child privacy laws.
– Meta will implement various measures, including a two-hour daily time limit for users under 18, while denying any wrongdoing.
– The company calls on TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar measures.
– Most changes will remain in place for ten years, but key changes like the daily limit will last only five years unless competitors follow suit.
What remains unclear includes:
– The timeline for implementing these changes.
– The responses from TikTok and YouTube regarding the settlement.
