Meta pays $17 billion in child safety settlement and implements app limits for teens
Meta agreed to pay up to $17 billion over 10 years to settle lawsuits from 42 jurisdictions regarding child safety. The deal mandates strict usage limits, such as a two-hour daily cap on teen users.
Meta reached a landmark settlement with more than 40 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple territories addressing child safety concerns. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that $17 billion is the highest amount ever paid in a case like this. The agreement involves significant product changes for users aged 13 to 17. These changes include a default two-hour limit on daily app usage and blocking access between midnight and 6 a.m. Notifications will be muted during school hours, likes will remain hidden, cosmetic filters will be disabled, and video autoplay can be turned off. Teen users may also opt for a non-algorithmic feed. Meta plans to roll out many default protections within the next six months. Implementing stricter age verification requirements to accurately identify teens is estimated to take up to one year. To achieve this, Meta is building a new prediction model.
