Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement With US States Over Youth Harm
Meta has agreed to a settlement of up to $18 billion with 29 US states regarding the harmful impacts of social media on children and adolescents. The agreement, which still requires court approval, includes stricter usage controls and privacy measures for young users.
Social media giant Meta has reached a tentative settlement of up to 18 billion US dollars with 29 United States states to resolve allegations concerning the harmful impacts of its platforms on children and adolescents. The legal dispute arose after the 29 US states filed lawsuits against the company over the detrimental effects of social media usage among youth, though Meta has officially denied all the allegations brought against it in the legal proceedings.
While the monumental agreement has been reached between the parties involved, the settlement is not yet finalized as it is still pending formal approval from the court. If the court ultimately approves the proposed terms, Meta will be required to implement a series of stricter usage controls and privacy measures across its widely used platforms, specifically targeting underage and adolescent demographics.
Under the terms of the pending settlement, significant usage restrictions will be introduced for individuals under the age of 18 who use Facebook and Instagram. Specifically, the platforms will institute a default daily usage limit of two hours for these young users. Additionally, a mandatory night mode feature will automatically activate every day from midnight until six in the morning.
Despite agreeing to the massive financial settlement and the corresponding operational changes, Meta continues to maintain its stance by denying every single allegation levied by the states. The implementation of these stricter usage controls and privacy measures remains strictly on hold pending the final decision and approval from the court.
