Technology
Parents and legal experts question Meta's $18 billion settlement with 29 states
The deal introduces child safety controls and a liability waiver for age-detection data, but families argue it hides internal evidence.
The short version
- Meta agreed to an $18 billion settlement with 29 state attorneys general mid-trial, ending a suit alleging platform design flaws caused youth addiction, cyberbullying, extortion, and abuse.
- The agreement mandates two-hour daily time limits for minors, night- and school-time blocks, and an age-detection tool, while granting Meta legal protection from state claims over retaining under-13 data for that tool.
- Parents of deceased children criticized the settlement for cutting short public testimony and shielding internal company records, while legal experts noted potential enforcement hurdles.
- Federal regulatory actions remain uncertain, as the FTC was not a party to the state-level compromise.
Key facts
- Meta settled a lawsuit brought by 29 U.S. state attorneys general for $18 billion, terminating a trial in Oakland, California, that had sought up to $200 billion in fines.[Al Jazeera]
- The settlement requires Meta to institute two-hour daily time limits for users under 18, along with night-time and school-time blocks.[Al Jazeera]
- Under the deal, state attorneys general agreed not to sue Meta under COPPA or state child safety laws for retaining and using data from under-13 users to train and test an age-assurance model within one year.[TechCrunch]
- The settlement strictly bars Meta from using data gathered from children under 13 for advertising targeting, marketing, or algorithmic optimization.[TechCrunch]
- An independent auditor will monitor Meta's compliance with the terms of the settlement.[TechCrunch]
- Parents whose children died from suicide or drug overdoses expressed disappointment, stating the settlement prevented internal documents detailing executive knowledge of platform safety flaws from coming to light.[Al Jazeera]
- Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri testified during the trial that only 1 percent to 2 percent of young users utilized a 2024 feature prompting teens to take a break.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- It is unknown whether the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which was not a party to the state settlement, will agree to similar legal protections regarding Meta's use of children's data under federal COPPA rules.[TechCrunch]
- The settlement agreement does not detail how long Meta will retain under-13 data or the precise amount of behavioral information it will store to train its age-assurance tools.[TechCrunch]
- Legal experts questioned whether state regulators can effectively enforce technical isolation of under-13 data within Meta's broader operational systems.[TechCrunch]