Meta has agreed to settle a major lawsuit brought by US states that accused the company of harming children by making addictive products, according to a court filing released on Wednesday.
The settlement will require the social media company to pay up to $17 billion. Meta has also agreed to put safety measures in place for teenage users, including daily time limits and blocking access during nighttime hours across the US. This is the first time Meta has been forced to change how its platforms operate. As part of the agreement, the company denies any wrongdoing.
The jury trial, held in federal court in Oakland, California, had only just begun with opening statements last week. California and 28 other US states sued the $1.36 trillion (£1 trillion) company, claiming it designed addictive products that harmed children. The states also said Meta regularly collected data on children under 13 without parental permission, which they argued violated federal and state laws.
“Today, we have secured a settlement with Meta that will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of a difference for children and their families,” said Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, in a statement. “Meta has agreed to make major changes that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms – and it will do so within months.”
Bonta said those changes include time limits, stopping notifications during school hours, blocking app use during late-night hours, banning plastic surgery filters, and more.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Throughout the case, Meta has denied all allegations, saying the states were seeking an “outlandish payout.” A spokesperson said on Tuesday that Meta’s safety teams aim to be industry-leading and that the company conducts research to improve user experience.
Meta still faces thousands of similar lawsuits from families, school districts, and other attorneys general across the US. The company lost the first two of those cases to go to trial in March. In the first, it was ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to the state of New Mexico for allowing child sexual exploitation on its platforms. In the second, it was found liable for deliberately designing addictive products that hooked one young woman and was ordered to pay her more than $4 million.
More details will be released soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Metas settlement regarding teen addiction written in a natural and clear tone
General Questions
Q What is this settlement all about
A Meta was sued in the US for allegedly making their platforms addictive for teenagers and harming their mental health To avoid a long trial they agreed to a massive settlement to resolve these claims
Q How much money is Meta paying
A The settlement is worth up to 17 billion This is one of the largest settlements in US history for this type of case
Q Does this mean Meta is admitting they did something wrong
A Not exactly Meta agreed to the settlement to make the problem go away but they didnt officially admit to breaking the law or being guilty of the specific accusations
Q Who is getting the money from this settlement
A The money will go to a fund to compensate the families and individuals who were part of the lawsuit and claimed they were harmed by the apps A large portion will also go to lawyers fees and to fund future safety programs
Changes to the Apps
Q What specific changes will I see on Instagram and Facebook
A Meta has agreed to make significant changes including
Limiting features Restricting certain features that are designed to keep teens scrolling for hours
Better parental controls Giving parents more powerful tools to see how much time their teens are spending on the apps and to block usage during certain hours
Content changes Changing the algorithm so it doesnt push teens toward harmful content related to body image eating disorders or selfharm
Age verification Implementing stricter ageverification measures to prevent younger kids from lying about their age
Q Will these changes affect my account if Im an adult
A The most restrictive changes are specifically for users under 18 Adults will likely see some changes to parental controls and content settings but the teenspecific limits wont apply to you
Q Will the apps be less fun to use for teens now
