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Meta to overhaul Facebook and Instagram teen controls in US settlement
The deal would require daily usage limits and nighttime app blocks, and calls for Meta to pay up to $17.0bn to settle claims tied to teen harm.
Meta agreed to change how Facebook and Instagram work for teenage users as part of a US settlement over allegations that the platforms drive teen addiction and harm, according to a court filing released Wednesday, reported by the Guardian Business.
The agreement would require safeguards nationwide, including daily usage limits and blocks on using the apps during nighttime hours. The company also denies wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The states involved, led by California and joined by 28 other states, had accused Meta of designing addictive products and of collecting data on children under 13 without parental permission, in potential violation of federal and state laws. California attorney general Rob Bonta said the settlement would make social media less dangerous for children and that the changes would be implemented within months.
The filing described additional promised changes such as stopping certain notifications during school, a block on the apps during critical overnight hours, and bans on plastic surgery filters. Meta also faces thousands of similar lawsuits from families, school districts, and other attorneys general.