Snap CEO expresses willingness to implement teen time limits

Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel has stated that the company is “willing to implement” daily time limits for teenage users. This potential move follows pressure from Meta, which is seeking industry-wide changes to social media usage patterns for minors.

Meta recently reached a multi-billion dollar legal settlement with several US state Attorneys General regarding allegations that its platforms were designed to be addictive to young users. As part of that settlement, Meta agreed to pay $12.7 billion over ten years and implement a default two-hour daily limit for teens, alongside features like muted notifications during school hours. Meta indicated it would implement even stricter limits and pay an additional $5.3 billion if platforms like YouTube and TikTok also adopt similar measures.

Snapchat and other major platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, have faced various legal challenges alleging their services contribute to a youth mental health crisis. Spiegel noted that establishing maximum time limits could be “an important step forward for the industry” in defining new norms.