How Meta is changing Instagram and Facebook for teens
What's the story
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to implement major changes for its platforms in the US. The decision comes as part of a child safety settlement with attorneys general across the country. Under this agreement, Meta will pay up to $18 billion and introduce new measures on both platforms that will alter how teens use them and limit their usage at certain times.
Legal background
Lawsuit accused Meta of failing to protect children
The settlement is a result of a nationwide lawsuit that accused Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap of failing to protect children. The suit also claimed that these companies made their platforms "addictive" by design.
A coalition of 51 US states and territories, including New York, New Jersey, California, Nevada, South Carolina, Washington, and Illinois, among others, have signed the agreement.
Nationwide changes
Settlement applies to all US states except New Mexico, Florida
The new measures will be implemented on Facebook and Instagram across all US states, except New Mexico and Florida.
New Mexico is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Meta while Florida has banned kids under 14 from creating social media accounts.
Texas has also reached a separate settlement with similar requirements for Meta.
Major modifications
Teens will have access to a non-personalized feed option
Among the key changes, Facebook and Instagram will have to offer teens a "reasonably accessible" non-personalized feed option within four months.
Meta will also have to step up age assurance efforts to identify and restrict underage users on its platforms.
This includes either developing its own age assurance standard or adopting a third-party one, as well as complying with data minimization policies.
Usage restrictions
Meta will limit teen usage to 2 hours a day
Under the settlement, teens will be limited to a combined two-hour daily usage of Instagram and Facebook, unless parents disable the restriction.
The limit will apply across both apps and any alternate account detected by Meta.
However, time spent on videos or audio longer than 22 minutes, messaging, or using an app's settings won't count toward this limit, which resets at midnight each day.
User guidance
Platforms will block access between midnight and 6am
Meta will also show teens prompts every 15 minutes reminding them of their usage on Instagram and Facebook.
These platforms will also send reminders after 60 minutes and 90 minutes of use.
Further, Meta will block most of Facebook and Instagram between midnight and 6:00am for teens, during which they can't post or view feeds, stories, reels, or scroll through Explore page.
Notification control
Other key changes under the settlement
Teens won't receive push notifications by default between 8:00am and 3:00pm except for direct messages and alerts about their account security or safety. This is unless the setting is changed by a parent.
Further, teens will get an option to turn off autoplay on Instagram and Facebook, requiring them to tap or swipe their screen to view content instead of it playing automatically.
Privacy measures
Meta will also hide likes on teens' posts by default
Meta will also hide the number of likes and reactions on teens' posts by default.
The company will also restrict access to "extreme makeup" filters, while already blocking cosmetic surgery ones.
However, this doesn't include effects that make users look like a fantasy character or animal, or entertain users by distorting their appearance.