Summary:
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Meta settles with U.S. states for up to $18 billion, limits teen app use and notifications during school hours.
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Teens restricted to 2 hours daily on Facebook and Instagram, blocked from midnight to 6 a.m. without parental consent.
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Meta denies wrongdoing, pays $12.7 billion upfront with additional $5 billion based on other platforms’ actions.
Meta will pay up to $18 billion over the next decade and sharply limit how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram under settlements announced Wednesday with nearly every U.S. state.
Teens will be capped at two hours a day on both apps and blocked entirely from midnight to 6 a.m. without parental consent. Most push notifications will be disabled during school hours, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Meta will tighten measures keeping kids away from age-restricted content. The limits could get stricter if Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube adopt similar terms.
The states alleged Meta designed the platforms to addict children and misled the public about their safety. Meta denied wrongdoing.
About $12.7 billion of the payout is guaranteed, with $5 billion tied to whether other platforms follow. Meta is also paying $459 million to resolve state privacy claims connected to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The deal ends a federal trial that opened Aug. 18 in Oakland. Instagram head Adam Mosseri had started testifying and Mark Zuckerberg was expected to take the stand. Four states, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, had been expected to seek close to $200 billion in penalties.
The settlement does not change personalized recommendations or targeted advertising. Florida and New Mexico did not sign, and Florida plans to keep litigating.
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(cite index=”28-1″>CDC’s most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey found 39.7% of high schoolers reported persistent sadness or hopelessness and 20.4% seriously considered suicide.</cite> (cite index=”26-1″>It also found 77% use social media several times a day.</cite> (cite index=”8-1″>Pew reported last year that 48% of teens believe social media mostly hurts people their age, up from 32% in 2022.</cite>
Meta says it will publish a letter Thursday in national newspapers urging TikTok and YouTube to strengthen their own protections for children.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text.
