Meta to pay $17 billion under historic U.S. child protection settlement

Meta has agreed to pay U.S. states up to $17 billion and to substantially change the way Instagram and Facebook operate as part of a settlement of a lawsuit over the harm social networks cause to children and teenagers.

This was reported by the California attorney general's office.

The agreement, which still has to be approved by a court, provides for payments over 10 years, with California potentially receiving between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion. Meta has also pledged to set a two-hour daily limit for users under 18, to block the use of the apps from midnight to 6:00 a.m. without parental permission, and to turn off notifications at night and during school hours.

The company must also hide the number of likes and reactions from minors, ban filters that imitate cosmetic procedures, strengthen age verification, and give teenagers the option of using a non-personalized feed. Compliance with the terms will be monitored by an independent auditor.

The lawsuit was filed in 2023. The authorities accused Meta of creating features that encouraged excessive use of social networks by children and teenagers, as well as of misleading users and their families about the associated risks.

Source: TASS