Meta reaches $16.68 billion settlement over social media harms to children
- On Wednesday, Meta Platforms Inc. agreed to a landmark settlement of up to $17.1 billion with 47 states to resolve allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed to addict young users. The deal, filed in Oakland, California, concludes a federal trial that began last week.
- A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general launched the initial lawsuit in 2023, accusing Meta of intentionally designing addictive platform features while concealing internal research regarding potential mental health harms to children.
- Meta must implement a two-hour daily time limit, nighttime usage blocks, and mandatory parental controls on Facebook and Instagram. The company will also block beauty filters and hide 'like' counts to reduce harmful social comparison.
- A portion of the settlement, $5.3 billion, remains contingent on competitors TikTok and YouTube adopting comparable safety standards. Meta Chief Legal Officer C.J. Mahoney called the framework 'a new industry standard,' urging rivals to implement similar protections.
- Despite this resolution, Meta remains a defendant in thousands of pending personal-injury claims and lawsuits filed by public-school districts nationwide. Experts caution that these mandates may not fully address underlying engagement mechanisms driving online harms.
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Meta Platforms (Meta), the operator of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to pay up to $16.7 billion (approximately 23.1 trillion won) and strengthen youth protection measures to settle lawsuits filed by U.S. state governments alleging that it induced social media addiction among teenagers. According to a settlement agreement submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on the 26th (local time), Meta [agreed] with…
Arizona to receive $223M from Meta settlement
Arizona will receive about $223 million over the next decade from Instagram's owner following a $17.1 billion settlement between the media giant and the states. The post Arizona to receive $223M from Meta settlement first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times.
Idaho to get $89.2M in landmark Meta settlement
Idaho is set to receive between $89.2 million and $127.7 million as part of a landmark multistate settlement with Meta to resolve claims regarding addictive platform designs that harmed young users' mental health.
Vermont to receive $92.7 million in landmark Meta settlement over alleged harm to children
Vermont will receive more than $92.7 million from Meta under a sweeping multistate settlement resolving allegations that the social media giant knowingly designed Instagram with addictive features that harmed children and teenagers, Attorney General Charity Clark announced Wednesday. The $92,700,152 settlement resolves Vermont’s 2023 lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. Vermont alleged the company knowingly exposed…
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