Meta Settles Major State Child Harm Claims for $18 Billion

Meta has agreed to pay $18 billion to settle a legal case brought by 29 US states. The case was about claims that Meta’s social media platforms were created in ways that made children and teenagers use them in a way. 

Most of the money, more than $17 billion, will be used to deal with the states’ claims. The rest of the money will be used for claims from states and territories. The money will also help fund programs that make the online world safer for people. 

The deal means Meta has to change some parts of its platforms. Teenagers who are between 13 and 17 years old will have a limit of two hours each day on all of Meta’s apps. Parents will still be able to change that limit. 

Meta will also add a default night mode that stops users from accessing the apps from midnight to 6 am. There will be a school mode that reduces the number of notifications during school hours. Also, the number of likes and reactions on posts from teenagers will not be shown by default. 

Teen users will have the option to turn off autoplay. They can also choose a feed that does not depend on suggestions. Meta has also agreed to limit some makeup filters for young people. 

The states said Meta used things like scrolling, personalized recommendations, and constant notifications to keep young people on its platforms. They also said the company lied about the dangers to children and collected data from users under 13 without permission. 

Meta says its platforms do not harm children and did not admit any fault as part of the deal. The company said the agreement will help make the online experience better and safer for teenagers. 

This settlement happened after a trial started in California this month. Four states had asked for up to $1.4 trillion in damages. The case was settled before it went further. 

Meta is still involved in other lawsuits from families, individuals, and school districts. These lawsuits say that social media is causing harm to children. Meta continues to deny those claims. 

This agreement might affect the technology industry. Governments and parents are asking for protection for young users. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the changes will start in a month. An independent person will check how Meta is doing with the settlement.