WASHINGTON (TNND) — Meta has agreed to sweeping new limits and protections for young users on Facebook and Instagram as part of a multibillion-dollar settlement that attorneys general say is the largest “big tech settlement” in history.
The settlement totals roughly $17 billion and resolves a case involving nearly all states, Washington, D.C. and U.S. territories. In addition to the financial payout, Meta agreed to change its platforms for children and teens.
Among the new protections that will be automatically turned on for youn g users is a two-hour daily time limit, a “night mode” that blocks app access from midnight to 6 a.m., and a “school mode” that mutes notifications from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Like counts will also be hidden, and features such as makeup and cosmetic filters will be disabled.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the settlement a “watershed moment.”
“It’s just a matter of time, in my humble opinion, before TikTok and YouTube and Snap come on board,” Bonta said.
He compared the settlement to when tobacco companies were held accountable, saying that in both cases attorneys general, not Congress, drove industry change.
The $17 billion will be split among the states that sued over the next 10 years to support youth mental health and education initiatives.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the state will receive between $214 million and $307 million.
“Meta agrees to pay the coalition of states up to 17.1 billion dollars,” Ellison said. “That is the largest tech settlement in the history, and one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in history.”
Meta is also urging its competitors to take similar steps. In a statement, Meta’s chief legal officer said that because teens move across many apps, an industry-wide solution is needed.
Advocates said the settlement is progress but not a final fix. Julie Frumin of Mothers Against Media Addiction told CNN that it is a step in the right direction, but not the end of the road. She called on Congress to pass the senate’s version of the Kids Online Safety Act, which would give platforms a duty of care.
“Any other product on a shelf has to be safe by design, not something that a parent has to go in the backend and figure out, you know, will this thing hurt my child, but safe out of the box,” Frumin said. “So the legislation would hold all, all companies accountable that are interacting with kids.”
