Dorothy

Good morning. Meta has agreed to significant changes to its Instagram and Facebook apps in a settlement that ended a landmark lawsuit. The agreement curtails a major trial in California and will require the social media company to pay up to $18bn. Meta agreed to establish safeguards for teenage users, including daily usage limits and blocks on night-time use nationwide in the US.

Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced Wednesday.

Meta avoided the worst today by settling a massive lawsuit over alleged damages “to the mental and physical wellbeing of America’s youth.” The case, brought by the attorneys general of 47 states, plus U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., had been mid-trial in a federal court in California and was by far the most significant legal challenge the company has ever faced. To resolve the lawsuit, Meta will have to make a slew of design changes to its social-media platforms, and it will pay more than $12 billion—down from the approximately $200 billion that was initially sought, and a fraction of the $60 billion that the company made in profit last year.

The settlement comes during the second week of a federal trial in Oakland, California. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey had been leading the litigation brought by a coalition of 51 attorneys general, with the states alleging that Meta knowingly designed addictive features for young users, concealed information about the risks of its products, and collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. Meta denied the allegations and argued that its platforms already implemented measures to protect young users. As part of the settlement, the company did not admit wrongdoing.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta agreed to pay roughly $18 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 states over allegations that Facebook and Instagram harmed children through addictive design.

Meta reaches $18B deal on kids’ use of Facebook, Instagram: Four takeaways A landmark settlement between Meta and attorneys general across the country will see the technology giant pay more than $18 billion to states, but also roll out several changes to better protect kids and teens on its Facebook and Instagram platforms.   The settlement proposal, which awaits a judge’s approval, will end the high-profile trial in…

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kids under 18 will soon see a host of changes to their Instagram and Facebook experiences thanks to a historic $18 billion settlement Meta Platforms reached Wednesday with 48 U.S. states.

In the case, attorneys general from states including California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey accused Meta of harming children with its social media products, which they argued were designed to be addictive. They also accused Meta of violating federal privacy and consumer protection laws.

A bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general on Wednesday reached a landmark settlement with Meta that will change how young users interact with Instagram and Facebook. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

As penance — and even as it denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement — Meta will limit teenagers’ use to two hours a day, cut off usage from midnight to 6 a.m., and disable push notifications during common school hours.

Mark Zuckerberg Wants to Make Sure YouTube and TikTok Share His Pain Meta, the social media giant, agreed to change the way children interact with its apps. That could be trouble if its competitors don’t abide by the same rules.