Meta’s $18 billion U.S. settlement over teen social media harm is prompting governments in Australia, the Philippines, South Korea and the European Union to push for tougher child-safety rules. Australian officials said platforms have the tools to protect young users, while Meta’s deal includes new limits on teen use of Facebook and Instagram. The European Commission said it is waiting for Meta to present changes, and in South Korea a media regulator said some measures should apply worldwide.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, looks on during the US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing "Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis" in Washington, DC, on Jan. 31, 2024. Meta agreed to pay a coalition of U.S. states as much as $16.7 billion and to impose sweeping new limits on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram, according to a court filing on Aug. 26, that ends a landmark trial in California. The proposed settlement, filed in federal court, would resolve claims by 29 states that Meta deliberately engineered its platforms to hook young users, misled the public about the risks and unlawfully collected data from children under 13. AFP-Yonhap
SYDNEY/MANILA/BRUSSELS — Meta's move to restrict teenagers' use of social media in the U.S. shows companies have tools to better protect young people online, Australian officials said on Thursday, while in the Philippines, an official said the U.S. company had pledged to boost protection there too.
