Meta has reached a historic settlement with 48 U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia over allegations that Instagram and Facebook were deliberately designed to be addictive for children. The agreement, which still requires judicial approval, includes a payment of up to $18 billion to fund youth online safety initiatives.
Key changes for under-18 users include:
- A default two-hour daily time limit across both platforms (parents can adjust settings). vedomosti.ru +1
- A «Night Mode» block from midnight to 6 AM. vedomosti.ru +1
- Muted push notifications during school hours (8 AM to 3 PM). vedomosti.ru +1
- Hiding like counts and reactions by default to reduce social comparison. vedomosti.ru +1
- Blocking «extreme makeup filters» by default. vedomosti.ru +1
- Enhanced age-verification technology to identify users under 13 or teens who falsified their birthdates. v
Meta emphasized that while it won’t admit wrongdoing, the settlement aims to set a precedent for industry-wide protections. Notably, 30% of the settlement (about $5.3 billion) is conditional: it will only be paid if YouTube and TikTok implement similar safeguards and make matching payments.
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