Meta and TikTok face major regulatory actions in US and Brazil

Meta has reached a settlement in the United States to pay up to $18 billion and implement new safety controls for users under 18 on Facebook and Instagram. Approved by a federal judge, the agreement follows lawsuits from several states, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The changes include a default two-hour daily usage limit for minors, restrictions on use between midnight and 6:00 a.m., stricter notification controls, and enhanced age verification processes. An independent auditor will monitor compliance.

In Brazil, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) has issued a 30-day deadline for TikTok to remove accounts involved in the illegal sale of mercury to miners in the Amazon. The MPF identified coordinated profiles promoting liquid mercury, which poses severe environmental and health risks. The recommendation to ByteDance requires the immediate deletion of specific accounts and the implementation of preventive filters for terms related to mercury to prevent further illegal commerce and ecosystem contamination.