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Meta agrees to child-safety steps under $18bn state settlement
The settlement includes time limits, screen time warnings, and expanded parental controls for Facebook and Instagram users in the US, with potential knock-on effects for other countries.
Meta agreed to a $18bn (£13.3bn) settlement with nearly every US state, and the terms go beyond financial terms by requiring Facebook and Instagram to add new protections for children online, according to BBC Business.
The measures include time limits, warnings related to screen time, and additional parental controls over children accounts. The rules currently apply to children in the US, but the outlet notes they could affect the rest of the world if they become a regulatory precedent.
BBC Business adds that the UK Online Safety Act primarily targets what content young people can see, and includes an outright social media ban for under-16s starting in 2027, along with restrictions for 16 and 17-year-olds. The article says the US approach has moved from policing content toward restricting access, though it is not implemented through new law here.
In parallel with the settlement, Meta also urged TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar measures, and a Meta spokesperson told Reuters the company was hopeful Snap would do the same. The outlet frames the decision as part of a broader push for a level playing field across large technology platforms.