OZARK, Ala. (WTVY) – Alabama will receive more than $117 million from a settlement with Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, over claims it designed those apps to be addictive to children.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the settlement forces Meta to change how it treats kids after accusing the company of designing Instagram to be addictive and knowingly exposing young users to serious mental harm. Nationwide, the deal could top $18 billion.
According to court records filed in the case, Meta denies wrongdoing and agreed to the settlement without admitting fault.
Under the settlement, apps will carry a two-hour daily cap, with forced pauses at 15 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes. Access will shut down from midnight to 6 a.m., and like counts will disappear for anyone under 18.
Ozark Police Department Investigator Celeste Kemp said the changes mark progress in protecting children online.
“For them to take that one step further to say, hey, we want to protect these children against cyber bullying, against negative self-image, that is a huge achievement as far as protecting children online,” Kemp said.
Kemp said the midnight block misses the hours when children are most active online.
“A lot of times we see the children are more active online between 3 and 9, which is after school. And it’s when parents are home… a lot of times we’re not paying attention to what these children are doing online,” Kemp said.
Kemp said parents carry the ultimate responsibility for their children’s safety online.
“It is ultimately parents’ responsibility to ensure the safety of your child. It’s not Meta’s responsibility. It is Meta’s responsibility to help mitigate that. What will start on a Meta platform can then go to a completely encrypted conversation on another completely different app altogether,” Kemp said.
Kemp said boys between the ages of 11 and 17 face the highest risk of any age range, but said girls are also targeted.
“So it’s not just boys, it’s girls too,” Kemp said.
Licensed counselors Richard Dismukes and Jonathan Pahmeier said the damage often starts with lost sleep.
Jonathan Pahmeier, a licensed professional counselor with Milestones Psychology & Therapy, said children often understand the apps better than their parents do.
“Most parents just don’t know what’s out there, and the kids are usually able to figure it out a lot faster than their parents are. It produces a lot of dopamine addiction, and you kind of will fall into scrolling for two, three hours plus,” Pahmeier said.
Kemp said no setting can stop the growing use of artificial intelligence to alter images of children.
“Someone can take an image from your Facebook and they can turn a fully clothed image of your child into a naked photo. Or engaging in child sexual abuse. And post it for predators all over the internet,” Kemp said.
Kemp said photos such as a cheer photo or football photo posted the same week can be manipulated.
“These fully clothed pictures… can turn into something nefarious very quickly,” Kemp said.
Kemp cited data on the scale of the problem.
“I think the last statistic was the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had 450 million files of child sexual abuse material. And that’s just scratching the surface,” Kemp said.
Kemp said the issue affects communities close to home.
“It’s here in Ozark. It’s in Dothan. It’s in Enterprise. It’s in places you wouldn’t think to look. It’s with people you would never suspect,” Kemp said.
Kemp urged parents to stay involved.
“Know the signs. Know the risks. And just be present. Be active in your children’s lives,” Kemp said.
Counselors say the safest feed is still a conversation, not a setting.
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