Meta Settles Teen Social Media Addiction Lawsuit with $17 Billion Payment and Child-Safety
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add 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.
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The HillMeta settles social media addiction trial with states for up to $17B Meta and a coalition of state attorneys general reached a settlement in the high-profile trial accusing the company of designing its platforms to be addictive for young users, according to court filings published Wednesday. The proposed settlement, later announced by California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), includes various changes to Meta’s apps like Facebook and…
NPR NewsThe social media company Meta and the states suing it have agreed to a proposed settlement that would resolve a landmark federal child safety lawsuit, according to a statement from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
NBC NewsIn 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.
ReutersMeta reaches $16.68 billion settlement over social media harms to children - Reuters Meta reaches $16.68 billion settlement over social media harms to children Reuters
New York TimesMeta to Pay Up to $17 Billion in Landmark Settlement Over Social Media Addiction Claims The social media giant settled with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, and agreed to make major changes to its products over claims its platforms endangered children.
ABC NewsA 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.
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A court filing indicates that Meta agreed to pay up to $16.68 billion to bring the case to an end. The filing also says that the company “denies the allegations against it and that it has any liability to the Plaintiffs,” which are a collection of 29 states.
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Associated PressWhile the four states in the Oakland trial did not officially say how much they had been seeking, Meta said in a court filing that financial penalties in the case could amount to as much as $1.4 trillion — a figure legal experts said was unlikely, if not impossible.
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Yesterday, the states brought Instagram head Adam Mosseri to the stand and questioned him about the effectiveness of some features added to Instagram to try to keep teens from using it too much. They accused Mosseri of publicly touting the use of one of those safety features — called "Take a Break," a feature that nudged kids to close the app — when the reality was that it had very limited uptake by teens.The proposed settlement must be approved by the judge in the case, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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Associated PressMeta has since added a host of safety features to Instagram, including separate accounts for teenagers with stronger protections around messaging and privacy, along with content restrictions.
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01 NBC News Science says it’s possible 03:07 Gen Z sparks comeback for iPhone 5c on social media 05:14 How Black culture is shaping Gen Z slang 04:43
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02 Associated Press California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey were among 29 states that sued the tech giant in 2023, but the deal cuts short the trial, which was expected to see CEO Mark Zuckerberg take the stand before a jury in federal court in California.
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03 NPR News Meta must also bring on an independent auditor with "expansive access to information and resources" and the right to communicate with the attorneys general, the announcement said, and would also be subject to an injunction "prohibiting it from making further false, misleading, or deceptive statements around its safety features."
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