The Meta teen safety settlement could cost the company up to $18 billion and bring strict new limits for under-18s using Facebook and Instagram.
CALIFORNIA: Meta has agreed to a major settlement in the US that could change how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram. The deal includes billions of dollars in payments and new rules designed to limit how much time young users spend on the apps.
The Meta teen safety settlement follows legal action over claims that features on Facebook and Instagram encouraged young people to spend too much time on social media. Meta has denied wrongdoing, and the agreement does not mean the company has admitted the claims against it. The settlement still needs court approval.
Also read: Meta youth safety trial could reshape Instagram and Facebook protections
For parents and teenagers, the biggest changes are easy to understand.
Under the agreement, users under 18 would have a two-hour daily limit across Meta’s apps. Teenagers would not be able to switch this limit off themselves, although parents would have more control over how their children use the platforms.
Meta would also block access to its apps by default between midnight and 6am. This is aimed at stopping teenagers from staying up late scrolling through Facebook or Instagram.
School hours will also look different. Notifications will be muted by default during the school day, helping teenagers focus on classes without constant alerts appearing on their phones. Meta also plans to show reminders every 15 minutes when a teenager has been continuously using its apps.
There are financial consequences too. Meta says the agreement includes payments of around $18 billion over 10 years. About 70 per cent, or roughly $12.7 billion, would go to participating states over that period.
Also read: Chinese robot runs 100 metres faster than Usain Bolt’s record
The Meta teen safety settlement could become even stricter if other major social media platforms join the plan.
Meta is calling on TikTok and YouTube to introduce similar protections. If they join the framework and meet its conditions, Meta says its own daily limit would drop to one hour per app. Night restrictions would also become longer, running from 10pm until 7am.
Meta says the agreement has been reached with a bipartisan group of 52 attorneys general representing US states, territories and the District of Columbia.
Impact to expect
The biggest change could be how much time teenagers spend scrolling on social media. Parents would get more control, while teenagers could face automatic breaks during school hours, at night and after reaching their daily limit.
