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In a major legal settlement, Meta Platforms Inc. has agreed to pay as much as $18 billion and set strict time limits for Instagram and Facebook for users under the age of 18.
The settlement covers claims made by 47 states, with California attorney general Rob Bonta among the AG’s leading the case. The penalty will be paid over 10 years, and will be earmarked by each state to help address mental health and social media addiction for kids and teens.
But it also includes an agreement by Meta to institute new limits for users under 18, include a strict two hour time limit that can only be turned off with a parent’s permission; A default night mode which makes the apps inaccessible between midnight and 6 a.m.; School mode, which will block notifications during typical school hours; As well as other functions and features meant to give parents more control and to limit overuse by kids and teens.
The company agreed to institute the time limit and night mode features for five years, however Meta is also calling on TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same policies, and if they do it will extend it to at least 10 years.
