Meta has reached a significant settlement with California and 28 other U.S. states, agreeing to implement major changes on Facebook and Instagram. This agreement comes in response to allegations that the company’s platforms have contributed to harmful and addictive behavior among teenagers.
As part of the settlement, Meta will enforce new protections for its younger users nationwide. These measures include setting daily usage limits, restricting notifications during school hours, and limiting overnight app access. Additionally, the company will remove certain filters related to plastic surgery that target young audiences.
The financial implications of the settlement could see Meta paying as much as $18 billion, distributed among the participating states over a decade, pending court approval. California could receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion, while Colorado stands to gain approximately $615 million.
The states involved accused Meta of intentionally designing features to encourage prolonged use among young users. They also alleged that the company illegally collected data from children under 13 without proper parental consent. Despite these accusations, Meta has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the settlement’s impact would be more comprehensive if other major social media platforms, such as TikTok, Snap, and YouTube, adopted similar protective measures.
This agreement arrives amid a wave of lawsuits targeting Meta and other social media companies. Families, schools, and government officials have filed thousands of claims citing the detrimental effects associated with social media use among children and teenagers.