In a landmark agreement reached Wednesday, Meta Platforms will pay $18 billion over ten years to settle claims from 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Beyond the monetary component, the settlement requires Meta to tighten age‑verification tools, impose a hard two‑hour daily limit for anyone under 18, and block access to Instagram and Facebook between midnight and 6 a.m. for minors.
Stronger age checks and default safeguards
Meta must improve its technology for confirming a user’s age, using both its own systems and third‑party tools, with regular independent audits. The company will also be required to set the two‑hour limit and the midnight block as default settings for under‑18 accounts, which can only be disabled with parental permission.
Other safety features, such as turning off video autoplay or showing posts in chronological order, will remain optional and must be opted into by users. The settlement applies only within the United States and most provisions are slated to remain in effect for a decade.
Industry reaction
Former Meta engineering director Arturo Béjar called the deal a “significant milestone” but warned parents should not assume Instagram is now safe for children. Béjar noted that while the two‑hour limit mirrors restrictions on substances like alcohol, the platforms’ design can still create cravings that lead teens to feel distressed when the timer expires.
Fairplay executive director Josh Golin expressed disappointment that the settlement does not automatically disable recommendation algorithms that can expose minors to predators or harmful content. He argued that more aggressive defaults would better protect young users.
Potential impact and next steps
Researchers from the Cybersafety Research Center said past safety tools from Meta have often fallen short, but the settlement shows that technically feasible solutions exist. Yaël Eisenstat, director of policy and impact at the center, called the agreement “monumental” for demonstrating that alternative approaches are possible, even as she cautioned that no single measure will solve all safety concerns.
The agreement still requires judicial approval. If confirmed, it will set a new benchmark for how large tech firms address child safety, combining federal privacy law compliance with concrete, enforceable limits on screen time and nighttime access.
What this means for families
Parents will now have built‑in tools to limit their children’s social‑media use without having to hunt for settings. The default two‑hour cap and midnight block aim to reduce excessive screen time, while stronger age‑verification should keep under‑13 users off the platforms altogether. Families are encouraged to review the new controls and discuss healthy digital habits with their children.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
