Meta has reached a settlement with US states in an $18B lawsuit accusing the social media giant of deliberately making Instagram addictive to teenagers. The money will be used to fund youth safety initiatives and more, though there is a catch.
More importantly, the company has agreed to introduce unprecedented protections against overuse of its social media apps by teens …
US states have long been pushing for stronger protections against “harmful” algorithmic feeds in social media apps, arguing that companies like Meta deliberately seek to get them addicted to overuse of apps like Instagram. Harmful effects include cyberbullying, pressure to achieve unrealistic body images, and loss of sleep leading to reduced grades at school.
Actions by a growing number of individual states eventually led to a coordinated lawsuit against Meta by attorneys general representing a total of 52 US states, territories, and the District of Columbia. Meta has now agreed to settle the suit and introduce far stronger protections.
The new teen protective measures
