Meta settlement could become template for youth protections across social media
State attorneys general, Meta and child-safety advocates are pushing for broader industry protections after a settlement imposed new restrictions on young people’s use of Instagram and Facebook.
WASHINGTON —
A landmark settlement with Meta will change how young people use Instagram and Facebook while increasing pressure on other major social media platforms to adopt comparable protections.
Meta will pay at least $12.1 billion over 10 years to resolve claims that it designed addictive features, exposed young users to serious mental health risks and misled the public about the safety of its platforms. The settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by Meta.
That structure is intended to encourage protections beyond Instagram and Facebook. The company’s total payments could rise to approximately $17.1 billion if other major platforms adopt comparable youth-safety measures.
Meta has publicly urged TikTok and YouTube to participate, while state attorneys general have described the agreement as a potential template for broader changes across the industry.
“This is a line in the sand. Virginia is watching. We are going to hold platforms accountable,” said Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones.
Under the settlement, users under 18 will face a combined two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook. Parents will be able to disable the limit.
Meta must also introduce “productive pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use and again when users reach 60 and 90 minutes. The pauses are intended to interrupt extended periods of scrolling.
Additional protections include restrictions on access between midnight and 6 a.m. and limits on push notifications during nighttime and weekday school hours.
The agreement also requires stronger age-assurance measures, more accessible parental controls and safeguards against content involving bullying, eating disorders, suicide and self-harm. Meta must also restrict features associated with social comparison, including visible “like” counts and certain appearance-altering filters.
Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said, “The changes that they’ve promised to make could potentially make things slightly better for kids based on the current technology. But our concern is Meta’s always rolling out new features.”
If other major platforms accept comparable terms, stronger restrictions would take effect. Those provisions include a default limit of one hour per platform and longer-lasting requirements for some protections.
Meta argues that restrictions will be more effective if they apply across the industry because teenagers can move from one app to another.
“For meaningful progress to happen, we urge TikTok and YouTube to join us and state attorneys general in adopting this new standard, to ensure teens use social media in a healthy and responsible way,” Meta said in an open letter.
The participating states are also pursuing broader changes across the technology industry. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, whose state helped lead the case, said the Meta agreement provides a template for increasing protections on other social media platforms.
Coleman’s office continues to pursue separate litigation against TikTok and the gaming platform Roblox over allegations that those companies placed profits ahead of children’s safety. Those lawsuits are separate from the Meta settlement.
An independent auditor and the participating states will regularly evaluate whether Meta has properly implemented the required features and whether the protections are working.
The push for these protections is also gaining traction internationally. South Korea’s media regulator has called for Meta’s youth protections to be implemented globally.
In the U.S., Congress has struggled to pass comprehensive social media regulations. While the Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act in 2024, it stalled in the House due to disagreements over free speech, privacy, and enforcement. Lawmakers continue to work on updated proposals, but no final bill has reached the president.
The settlement resolves claims involving 48 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories. New Mexico, which pursued a separate case against Meta, and Florida did not join the agreement.
Meta still faces lawsuits brought by individuals and school districts. Child-safety advocates also argue that federal legislation is needed to make youth protections permanent and consistent across every social media platform.
