Meta Platforms agreed to a proposed settlement that would require it to pay $17 billion to states over 10 years and to alter how Facebook and Instagram operate for minors $17 billion.
The framework would set a default time limit of two hours for users under 18, impose a midnight-to-6 a.m. block unless a parent lifts it, add default night- and schooltime notification limits, ban showing the number of likes on minors’ posts, bar cosmetic-surgery image filters for minors, offer a non-personalized feed option, and install an independent auditor, with part of the payments earmarked for youth mental-health and after-school programs youth mental health programs.
"Today, we have secured a settlement with Meta that will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of a difference for children and their families," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.
Key testimony during the Oakland trial came from whistleblower Arturo Béjar, who described internal research on youth harm, and from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who was questioned on the effectiveness of safety features.
The proposed settlement must be approved by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, and it was announced midway through a trial that had been expected to run through early October.
