Business & Finance
Meta agrees to $18 billion US settlement introducing child safety controls on Instagram and Facebook
The deal resolves claims with most US states without an admission of wrongdoing, establishing screen-time limits and parental controls while sparking debate over global regulatory impacts.
The short version
- Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion over ten years to settle child safety lawsuits brought by 48 US states, the District of Columbia, and three territories.
- Facebook and Instagram will implement new US safety controls, including overnight access bans, usage time limits, screen-time warnings, and enhanced parental controls.
- Thirty percent of Meta's settlement payout is contingent on competing platforms TikTok and YouTube adopting similar youth safety measures.
- It remains uncertain whether tech rivals will adopt the rules or if other jurisdictions like the UK will demand similar features on top of existing regulation.
Key facts
- Meta agreed to an $18 billion settlement with nearly all US states, the District of Columbia, and three US territories without admitting wrongdoing.[BBC News]
- The settlement requires Meta to introduce overnight access bans, screen-time warnings, usage time limits, and parental controls for US children on Facebook and Instagram.[BBC News]
- Thirty percent of Meta's settlement payout depends on TikTok and YouTube agreeing to adopt matching youth safety restrictions.[BBC News]
- Florida rejected the agreement, and New Mexico was excluded due to a previous legal settlement resulting in a $942 million fine.[BBC News]
- Participating US states plan to use their portions of the funds to support youth mental health services and education programs.[BBC News]
- Under the terms of the settlement, Meta is restricted to using young people's personal data solely for estimating their age.[BBC News]
What remains uncertain
Sources
- What does the Meta settlement mean for the UK? Five things we learnedBBC News - Business