Meta Reaches $17 Billion Settlement and Implements Major Changes to Social Media Apps for Teen Users
On August 26, Meta reached a landmark settlement with over 40 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and multiple territories in a federal case concerning teen social media addiction. The agreement includes up to $17 billion in payments spread out over ten years as well as significant changes to its platforms for users aged 13-17, including time limits on app usage, hidden likes, disabled cosmetic filters, and controls for autoplay videos. Meta plans to roll out many of these protections within six months but will take up to a year to implement age assurance measures. The company is developing new prediction models using user data such as connections and followers to verify users' ages without facial recognition technology. Meta also aims to encourage competitors like YouTube and TikTok to adopt similar changes, though those companies have not yet responded. Despite the settlement's magnitude—described by California Attorney General Rob Bonta as the largest in a case of this nature—not all states are satisfied with its terms or duration. Florida’s attorney general criticized Meta for proposing temporary rather than permanent child protection measures.
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Topics: legal settlement Meta social media regulation teen safety