Meta has reached a settlement with California and 28 other U.S. states, agreeing to significant changes to its Facebook and Instagram platforms amid allegations that they fostered addiction and harmful behavior among teenagers. As part of this agreement, Meta will implement new protective measures for teenage users nationwide, such as setting daily usage limits and placing restrictions on notifications during school hours and overnight. Additionally, the company will eliminate certain filters related to plastic surgery that target young users.
The settlement could see Meta paying up to $18 billion, a sum to be shared among the involved states over a decade, pending court approval. California is projected to receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion, while Colorado’s share is estimated at approximately $615 million. This agreement comes in response to accusations that Meta intentionally designed features to engage young users for extended periods and collected data from children under 13 without obtaining proper parental consent.
Although Meta has denied any wrongdoing, the company has expressed that the settlement’s impact would be greater if other major social media platforms adopted similar safety measures. Meta has called on TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to follow suit with comparable protections for teenage users.
This agreement emerges as Meta, along with other social media giants, faces numerous lawsuits from families, educational institutions, and government officials. These legal actions are centered on alleged damages associated with social media usage among children and teenagers, highlighting the growing scrutiny over how these platforms influence young users.