Meta to pay 18 billion US Dollars, add stronger child-safety measures to Facebook & Instagram platforms

Meta has agreed to pay 18 billion US Dollars and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms. The move comes as part of a landmark legal settlement that ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims filed by 47 states. 

If approved by the court, the deal will stop an avalanche of litigation by states against Meta, although the company still faces lawsuits from individuals and school districts across the US. Meta said that ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for the company. It also urged rivals TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safety measures.

The agreement cuts short an ongoing court case involving California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, which were among 29 states that sued Meta in 2023. The lawsuit accused Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms and hiding them from the public. The case also argued that Meta violated federal laws by routinely collecting data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent.