Meta agrees to $17 billion settlement over child safety allegations

Meta has agreed to a landmark $17 billion settlement to resolve a federal child safety lawsuit brought by a consortium of states, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The lawsuit alleged that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and failed to disclose the associated risks. Additionally, the states accused the company of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data on users under the age of 13.

Under the terms of the settlement, Meta will pay up to $17 billion in penalties over a 10-year period and implement significant operational changes to improve safety for minors. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated the settlement aims to make social media less dangerous for children. Meta’s chief legal officer, C. J. Mahoney, noted the framework would allow parents to better manage their children’s platform access, though he suggested the success of such measures depends on other platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, following suit.