Meta’s $18bn settlement: How social platforms will change for child users

Key Points:

• Meta has agreed to an $18 billion settlement with 48 US states over allegations that its platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, endangered children by fostering addictive behavior and failing to protect young users adequately.
• The settlement requires Meta to implement new safety features for users under 18, such as two-hour daily usage limits, night curfews, disabling cosmetic filters by default, limiting push notifications during school hours, and enhancing parental supervision tools.
• Meta will improve age verification processes with third-party audits and provide parents with detailed information about their children's social media activities, although personalized recommendations and targeted advertising will continue.
• Critics acknowledge the settlement as a landmark but argue it does not address all harmful features like disappearing messages, infinite scroll, or AI chatbot safety, and call for broader, permanent protections across all platforms.
• Regulatory actions against Meta are intensifying worldwide, with the EU, UK, Brazil, South Korea, and others pursuing legal and regulatory measures to curb addictive features and improve child safety on social media.