Meta reached a landmark settlement today with a bipartisan coalition of 47 U.S. states and territories, over allegations that its social media platforms were designed to keep teens hooked.
The proposed $18 billion settlement will also require sweeping changes to Facebook and Instagram for users under 18, including two-hour daily limits, nighttime blocks, and muted notifications during school hours. Meta would also have to strengthen age verification, remove beauty filters, and give young users the option to turn off personalized feeds.
Some parents, like Christine McComas, have been advocating for this kind of change for years.
" Social media was an experiment that took my child's life," said McComas.
McComas lost her daughter, Grace, to suicide when she was just 15 years old, after years of cyberbullying. McComas says true accountability requires action beyond this settlement, such as passing the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, which would protect minors from harmful online content by requiring stronger restrictions from social media companies.
" I'll believe it when I see it," McComas says, "but certainly we're gonna fight like heck to make it happen."
Attorney General Rob Bonta said that California alone could receive more than $2 billion from the settlement with Meta, and that the funds are earmarked for youth mental health. Bonta says California’s fight with Big Tech isn't over.
"We have a lawsuit against TikTok," said Bonta. "This is an industry-wide problem. Meta is a major player in the industry, but there's a bigger ecosystem that we will not be satisfied until we address all of the problems in the entire industry."
In a statement shared with KALW, Meta is calling on TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar restrictions. The proposed settlement still requires final court approval.
