Meta faces increased scrutiny over child safety in US and Germany

Governments and legal bodies in Germany and the United States are intensifying efforts to regulate social media platforms to protect minors from psychological harm and data privacy violations.

In the United States, Meta has reached a record settlement of up to $18 billion to resolve lawsuits brought by 29 states. The litigation accused the company of intentionally designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to minors. Under the proposed agreement, Meta would implement new safety protocols, including a default two-hour daily usage limit for young users and a total ban on access between midnight and 6:00 AM. The settlement also includes notification systems to encourage mindful consumption.

Simultaneously, the German government is considering stricter regulations to shield children from digital harms. German officials and media pedagogues are calling for tech companies, specifically Meta, to modify their algorithms and platform designs. Proposed changes include disabling personalized recommendation algorithms by default, removing the 'infinite scroll' feature, and turning off auto-play videos to prevent compulsive usage. Advocates argue that protecting children from social media risks is a collective societal responsibility rather than one left solely to parents.