PHILADELPHIA – Pennsylvania, along with almost every other state, has reached a groundbreaking settlement with Meta that will require major changes on Facebook and Instagram to better protect young users, according to Attorney General Dave Sunday.
The agreement, part of a nationwide civil trial in California, is the largest-ever settlement involving a big tech company and could bring Pennsylvania between $516 million and $729 million over several years.
Sunday said Meta’s changes include age restrictions, caps on endless scrolling, and new rules on filters tied to body image.
The agreement calls for several new safety features, including a combined two-hour daily time limit for children using Instagram and Facebook, with breaks required after 15, 60, and 90 minutes of use. This cap will be in effect for five years, but could be reduced to 60 minutes per platform for 10 years if competitors like Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube agree to similar terms. Other changes include nighttime blocks from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., limits on notifications during school hours, stronger age checks, better content controls, and more robust parental tools.
The national probe into the social media industry began in 2021, with attorneys general across the country investigating companies for promoting addictive features to children and teens despite knowing the risks. The states sued Meta after finding it designed Instagram to keep children addicted while documenting the harm but failing to warn parents. The new settlement ends these lawsuits and resolves claims related to Facebook user data sharing with third parties ahead of the 2016 election.
Dozens of states and territories joined the settlement, including Pennsylvania, California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and others.
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The Source: Attorney General Dave Sunday’s announcement and the multistate coalition settlement details.
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