Meta Agrees to $17 Billion Deal Over Child Safety on Social Media

Jakarta, ThedailyID — Meta has reached a $17 billion settlement with several US states over allegations that its social media platforms put children at risk and encouraged addictive use.

The agreement, announced by California’s Department of Justice on Wednesday (26/8), also requires Meta to introduce stricter safety measures across Instagram and Facebook.

Under the settlement, Meta must pay $17 billion to the participating states over 10 years. The company will also limit children’s access to its platforms to two hours a day.

Instagram and Facebook accounts belonging to children will automatically be blocked from midnight to 6 a.m., unless parents provide special permission. Notifications will also be restricted between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and during school hours.

The agreement also requires Meta to hide like counts, prohibit beauty filters for child users, and give them the option to disable algorithmically curated feeds designed to keep users scrolling.

“We have reached an agreement with Meta that will make social media safer for our children and bring major changes for children and their families,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, as quoted by Politico, Thursday (27/8).

Meta must also strengthen age-verification methods and report its compliance to an independent auditor.

The settlement ends a lawsuit brought by California and a coalition of other states. It also means CEO Mark Zuckerberg will not have to testify in the case, while questioning of Instagram head Adam Mosseri will end.

The agreement could also influence hundreds of other lawsuits alleging that Meta, Snap, TikTok, and Google designed addictive platforms linked to mental health problems among young users.