Meta settles $18B with 29 US states, mandates child safety
Meta just settled an $18 billion lawsuit with 29 US states, which said Instagram and Facebook were built to keep kids hooked.
Now, Meta has to roll out new child-safety features: think two-hour daily screen time limits and blocking access from midnight to 6am.
But while these changes sound good on paper, there are still big questions about how well age checks will work and whether they'll put users' privacy at risk.
Meta age verification raises privacy concerns
As part of the deal (without admitting any guilt), Meta also has to bring in age-verification tech and silence notifications during school hours.
The payment will be spread out over 10 years.
Experts like Dr. Alexis Ingber, a professor of communications at Syracuse University, warn that things like biometric scans or ID uploads could actually expose sensitive data or create new problems for young users.
Plus, roughly 30% of Meta's settlement payment depends on whether TikTok and YouTube also comply with these guidelines, sparking fresh debates about safety versus privacy online.