Meta Faces Billions In Child Safety Settlement, Agrees To New Teen Instagram, Facebook Rules

Social media giant Meta has reached a settlement with US states and territories to resolve a court case concerning child safety on Facebook and Instagram.

According to court documents, the tech company will pay a maximum of $16.68 billion (£12.26 billion) as part of the settlement.

Under the agreement, Meta will introduce new rules for teenage users, including daily usage limits and blocks during night-time hours.

Meta denied wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

The company had been accused of violating numerous federal and state privacy laws relating to children.

The states that sued Meta alleged that the company used its platforms "to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens," while ignoring the damage they caused to the "mental and physical wellbeing of America's youth".

Following the announcement, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb described the settlement as a "monumental public health victory".

He said: "The safety features Meta is required to install will fundamentally and immediately change how young people use Instagram and Facebook."

Meta said in a statement: "Today, we are announcing an agreement with a bipartisan group of 52 attorneys general across US states, territories, and the District of Columbia, building on our longstanding efforts to empower parents and support teens."

The company said the agreement includes a payment of approximately $18 billion, which can be used to fund youth online safety initiatives, among other state priorities.

"The payment will be distributed in annual instalments over a 10-year period," Meta said.

Meta also said TikTok and YouTube should introduce the same safety features for younger users.

"Our new Time Limit commitments, Night Mode features and usage limits during school hours set the right path forward for our whole industry, but this framework will only work if all our peers join us," Meta's chief legal officer CJ Mahoney said.

YouTube and TikTok have been contacted for comment.

Meta settled a court case concerning child safety on Facebook and Instagram. The company had been accused of violating privacy laws and harming the wellbeing of youth.