Daniel Wolfram
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has settled a billion-dollar lawsuit and agreed to implement changes to its platforms for children.
Facebook and Instagram have completely changed how children and teenagers use their phones and see the world.
The parent company behind the two social media giants was recently sued by over half of the states in the United States for allegedly getting kids and teens addicted to its apps.
The company Mark Zuckerberg founded just settled the case with a monumental billion-dollar loss and agreed to six essential changes.
Sweeping app limits
Meta is preparing for major changes to its platforms. Under a proposed settlement with 29 US states, the social media giant will set boundaries previously unheard of for users under eighteen. The company agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle child safety claims. The states alleged that Meta had intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive, leading to mental health issues.
The proposed agreement will undoubtedly alter daily routines. Under the new rules, young users will receive an automatic two-hour daily limit on both Instagram and Facebook. This time cap is expected to stay active for five years.
Access will lock overnight. To prevent classroom distractions, notifications will pause during school hours. Meta will also ban plastic surgery filters for kids, strengthen account verification tools, and add new parental controls.
Landmark legal deal
State legal leaders praised the deal as a major victory. California Attorney General Rob Bonta welcomed the changes. He said: “Meta has agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms – and will do it within months.”
Bonta emphasized the immediate impact of the legal outcome. He added: “I am proud to deliver this settlement that addresses the concerns at the core of our lawsuit and institutes real change, real transparency, and real enforceable protections for children on Facebook and Instagram, right now, no more waiting.”
Meta claims innocence
Meta continues to deny any wrongdoing despite agreeing to pay the $18 billion and making six historic changes that will no doubt decrease traffic and app usage.
Despite agreeing to the restrictions, Meta argues that attaining true digital safety requires every major social media company to participate. The company specifically called on two rival platforms to adopt identical measures. Meta wrote in a statement: “These protections will only be effective if we work with our peers – TikTok and YouTube – to put the same measures in place.”
Whether competitors like TikTok and YouTube will follow suit remains uncertain. However, teenagers using Instagram and Facebook can expect their everyday screen time experience to look very different within months, unless children and teenagers find creative ways to bypass the restrictions.
