Meta has agreed to introduce a series of new restrictions for younger users on Facebook and Instagram as part of a proposed settlement with US states over claims that its platforms harmed children. The technology giant has agreed to pay up to $18billion (£13.2billion), while continuing to deny wrongdoing.
New limits for under-18s
Under the agreement, users under 18 will face new limits on how they can use Facebook and Instagram, with most of the changes expected to be introduced within months. The full list of some of the biggest changes Meta has agreed to includes a default daily limit of two hours for users under 18, a block on Facebook and Instagram for young users during certain overnight hours, and a stop on notifications during school hours.
Plastic surgery filters will be banned for children, and Meta will strengthen technology used to identify whether an account belongs to a teenager. New parental controls will also be introduced.
Reaction to the settlement
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the agreement would force "transformative changes" to Meta's platforms, with the measures designed to better protect children online. He said: "Meta has agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms — and will do it within months."
Bonta added: "I am proud to deliver this settlement that addresses the concerns at the core of our lawsuit and institutes real change, real transparency, and real enforceable protections for children on Facebook and Instagram — right now, no more waiting."
Enforcement concerns
The two-hour daily limit is expected to remain in place for five years, although this could depend on whether other major social media companies introduce similar measures. Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to follow its lead, saying: "These protections will only be effective if we work with our peers - TikTok and YouTube - to put the same measures in place."
However, experts have warned that enforcing the restrictions could prove difficult because they rely on platforms correctly identifying which accounts belong to children. Professor Alan Woodward, professor of cybersecurity at the University of Surrey, said: "Building a timer or an overnight block is easy. Meta already has both in softer forms." He added: "So the whole scheme rests on age checks. Those checks are imperfect."
